----Jenna Siemer

By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – Five Northern Kentucky University harriers were named to the Division II All-Academic Teams by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association this week.

Jenna Siemer and Julianne Hoekzema received the honor on the women’s side, while Drew Harris, Matthew Shoulta and Zach Koehler were awarded on the men’s side.

Additionally, the NKU men’s and women’s cross country teams were selected as All-Academic teams by the USTFCCCA. The men held a combined grade-point average of 3.071 during the fall semester, earning the honor for the fourth consecutive year. The women’s team achieved a 3.315 GPA to earn the distinction for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

----Julianne Hoekzema

Siemer was a consistently strong runner for the Norse in 2007, placing herself No. 4 all-time in the five-kilometer (18:46) and six-kilometer (22:52.06) distances last season. The sophomore posted a top-10 finish at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships to earn All-GLVC honors and a top-20 finish at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational. Siemer is a middle education and special education major with a 3.42 cumulative GPA.

Hoekzema made history in 2007 by becoming the first NKU woman to compete at the NCAA national meet where she finished 70th in the 189-woman field. She claimed top-six finishes in every other race this season, earning All-GLVC and All-Region honors in the process. At the Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo., Hoekzema shattered the NKU five-kilometer record with a time of 17:39, 35 seconds faster than the previous mark set in 2006. Hoekzema is a senior marketing major with a minor in business administration and maintains a 3.57 GPA.

----Drew Harris (left) and Matthew Shoulta

Harris stood out as a member of a crowded freshman class on the men’s team, running consistent top-20 and top-30 times throughout the season. Harris broke into the record books by running the sixth-fastest eight-kilometer time at NKU (25:45) at the Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo. His 32:39.60 time at the NCAA Championships marked the 11th-fastest time in Norse history in the 10-kilometer. Harris is a political science major with a criminal justice minor and has a 3.65 GPA.

Shoulta delivered the one-two punch to propel NKU to continued success in 2007. The junior posted top-10 finishes at the Queen City Invitational (ninth) and the SIUE Border Wars (seventh). He ran a 25:44 at the Sean Earl Lakefront to post the fifth-fastest eight-kilometer time in school history. Shoulta is a sports business major with a minor in business administration and maintains a 3.36 GPA.

----Zach Koehler

Koehler earned All-GLVC, All-Region and All-American honors this season after a highly successful senior campaign. Koehler was the leader on the course for the Norse, posting top-10 finishes on four separate occasions. His 31:28 time at the NCAA Championships was good for 32nd place as the Norse enjoyed a 16th place finish at Nationals. Koehler excelled in the classroom as well, earning a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester to land on the President’s Honor List. Koehler is a sports business major with a business administration minor and has a 3.76 cumulative GPA.

USTFCCCA MEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS
USTFCCCA WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC INDIVIDUALS

USTFCCCA MEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS
USTFCCCA WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS