Lars Benner Named CoSIDA Academic All-District

TAMPA, Fla. - The 2016-17 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Men's Cross Country Team has been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. University of Tampa senior Lars Benner is among the honorees.

A senior from Valrico, Fla., Benner carried a 4.0 GPA throughout his collegiate career. The biochemistry major was also a top runner for the Spartans. The four-year letterwinner finished first for UT at the Florida State Invite, South Florida Invite, SSC Championships and NCAA South Regional.

He is a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District performer, four-time Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient and member of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Team.

The Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the documents linked above are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the sixth year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-America® Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

The Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.

First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America® honorees will be selected later this month. 

For more information about the Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® program, visit the Academic All-America® Program index page.