Kearns Named to USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic Team

New Orleans, La. - University of the Sciences women's cross country runner Abigail Kearns (Holy Cross High School/Scranton, Pa.) was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team for the 2010 season.

To qualify for All-Academic honors, a student-athlete must have completed at least 12 semester/quarter hours through the semester of competition at the institution to be eligible. The student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and have placed in the top 30% of the total number of athletes eligible to compete at the respective regional championships or have placed in the top 50% of the field at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. The individual's coach must also be a member of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Kearns, a physical therapy major with a 3.56 grade point average, completed her first season of competition this fall for the Devils, competing in six regular season meets along with the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championships and the NCAA East Regional Meet.  Abby made her collegiate debut as the Devils #3 finisher at the DelVal Invitational, completing the 6,000-meter race in 26:17.  In each subsequent race, Kearns was the Devils top finisher, leading the Devils two a second place finish at the Wilmington Invitational and later setting a personal-best 5,000-meter time of 20:54 as the Devils captured the Goldey-Beacom Invitational team title. Two weeks later she ran 20:54.8 at the Cabrini Invitational as the Devils finished fifth.  Kearns also ran a 6K personal best time of 24:59.4 at the Paul Short Invitational

At the CACC Championships, Kearns placed 13^th overall, earning All-CACC honors and leading the Devils to a fifth place finish.  The first year runner concluded her season with a 72nd place showing at the NCAA East Regional with a 6,000-meter time of 25:19.

This year's USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic Team features 313 runners from 115 schools around the country. Thirty-six of the 313 hail from the East Region where USciences competes and eight of those, including Kearns are from the CACC.

The former Holy Cross High School athlete has completed her first season of competition for the Devils.