For the second year in a row, junior Amy Roybal (Pojoaque Valley, NM, Pojoaque Valley High School) and senior Wilton Atkins (Wanganui, New Zealand, Wanganui Collegiate School, University of North Alabama) have received Academic All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors. Senior Kempton Jackson (Gallup, NM, Gallup High School), who redshirted last year, also received accolades this year. All three were placed on the honor roll.

Roybal battled injury throughout the fall season. At the beginning of the season at Northern Arizona's race, she was second for the Mustangs and 42nd overall. She finished the 5,000m race in 21:01.6. Roybal is a kinesiology major with a 3.34 grade point average.

For the majority of the season, Atkins was the number two or number three Mustang runner. Last year's WNMU Male Student-Athlete of the Year finished third for the Mustangs and 67th overall at the RMAC championships this season after posting a time of 31:21 in the 8K race. Atkins will graduate this year with a degree in kinesiology and a 3.46 GPA.

Jackson most impressive race was at the 24th Arizona State University Invitational of the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival in Mesa, Arizona in the beginning of October. He finished 18th out of 89 runners in a time of 15:12.1. Jackson's score helped lead the Mustangs to a fifth place finish. The senior led the Mustangs in five of the six races this season.

To qualify for Academic All-RMAC, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.20 or better and completed two consecutive semesters or three quarters at their current institution. Their GPA is what they had earned prior to cross country season beginning.

RMAC Sports Information Directors at schools that sponsor the sport of women's and men's cross country selected First and Second Team Academic All-RMAC. These SIDs took into account the student-athletes work in the classroom, as well as on the course.

Click here for the complete RMAC press release.