HCC Men’s Cross Country Team Honored

The Hagerstown Community College Men’s Cross Country team has been named the National Junior College Cross Country Coaches Association Men’s Academic Team of the year. This outstanding honor is awarded to the NJCAA school participating in men’s cross country with the highest grade point average at the end of the fall semester. A total of 97 schools nationwide participate in men’s cross country and were eligible for the award.

HCC Athletic Director Brian Beck commented, “This is such a great achievement for the team. When we looked at fall grades I knew the men’s team would be in contention for the award.”

Team members for 2004 were: Kyle Eccard, Middletown, MD; John Edmands, Middletown, MD; Barry Gibbons, Middletown, MD; Jared Matlick, Shepherdstown, WV; Ryan McCormick, Smithsburg, MD; Alex Shifler, Clear Spring, MD; and Timothy Sowell, Smithsburg, MD.

Five Hawks were named to the Academic All-American Team: Jared Matlick, John Edmands, Barry Gibbons, Alex Shifler, and Timothy Sowell.

The HCC team took top honors with a team GPA of 3.63 and were closely followed by Rend Lake College from Ina, Illinois with a GPA of 3.60.