LAARI NAMED TO C-USA ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA Cross Country All-Academic honorees were announced by the league office Thursday with senior Sampson Laari representing the Blue Raiders on the six person men's team for the second-straight year.

Laari is a Sport, Lesiure and Tourism Studies major that currently holds a 3.775 GPA. Last year he was the 2017 C-USA Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year while also earning a spot on the 2016 Cross Country All-Academic Team. Laari is a 2016-17 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member and a three time MTSU Dean's List honoree.

"Sampson exemplifies the student-athlete model at MTSU," said Associate Head Coach Keith Vroman. "I am very proud of what he has accomplished on and off the field for the Blue Raider track and cross country programs."

The Eldoret, Kenya native has been a key member of the nationally ranked Blue Raider team the last two seasons, helping the squad to their first ever NCAA Championship appearance last year and first ever C-USA Championship just a few weeks ago. He is a two-time C-USA All-Conference First Team member and in the 2017 C-USA Championships earned the Outstanding Senior award.

2017 InTouch Credit Union C-USA Men's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Todd Gunzenhauser | Charlotte | RS Fr. | 4.00 | Mechanical Engineering
Lachlan Shiver | Florida Atlantic | So. | 3.96 | Biology
Conner Killian | Louisiana Tech | RS Fr. | 3.86 | Forestry
*Sampson Laari | Middle Tennessee | Sr. | 3.775 | Sport, Leisure and Tourism Studies
*Antony Kosgei | UTEP | Jr. | 3.42 | Industrial Engineering
Taylor Scarbrough | WKU | So. | 4.0 Finance
 
2017 InTouch Credit Union C-USA Women's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Katie Tomasi | Charlotte | So. | 4.00 | Biology
*Kacie Kaufman | Louisiana Tech | Jr. | 4.00 | Communication
Victoria Junious | North Texas | Sr. | 3.98 | Kinesiology
Elsa Racasan | Rice | Sr. | 4.11 | Kinesiology
Courtney Filliben | Southern Miss | Sr. | 3.87 | Microbiology
Emily Drouin | UAB | Sr. | 3.89 | Nursing
 
*Repeat Selections