NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 28, 2022) – For the second time in their cross country careers, Oklahoma Christian runners Colten Brown and Colton Meyers earned All-Academic individual honors for the 2021 season from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association.

In order to qualify for the honor, a runner must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.25 and finish in the top 30 percent in a regional championship meet. Only 275 men in Division II met those qualifications and only four of them came from Lone Star Conference programs.

Meyers, a senior Finance major from Allen, Texas, took 32nd out of 183 runners in the Division II South Central Regional Championship race in Lubbock, Texas, in November, finishing with a time of 31:25.41 over 10,000 meters. Brown, a sophomore Computer Engineering major from Boise City, Okla., placed 45th with a time of 31:41.82.

Only seven OC men's runners have earned the USTFCCCA academic honor since the program began competing at the Division II level with the 2012 season. Brown and Meyers joined Sisay Gillock (2016 and 2017) and Evan McQuirk (2016 and 2017) as two-time winners. Brennym Kaelin (2015), Timothy Zuercher (2015) and Owen Pearce (2019) also have earned the award. The award was not available following the 2020 season.

OC's men's team also earned the USTFCCCA's All-Academic team honor. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, a team must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and compile a team score at a regional meet. The Eagles finished 17th out of 26 teams in the regional meet and had a team GPA of 3.515, the highest among the four Lone Star Conference teams on the list.

Nationally, 98 teams qualified for the honor and OC's GPA put the Eagles 18th on that list.

The Eagles earned the team award for the fifth time since 2015. This year's team members included Brown, Meyers, sophomore Ethan Anthony, freshman Cade Berkey, sophomore Dylan Burrows, freshman Griffin Chesire, freshman Christian Fair, sophomore Kolten Johnson, sophomore Austin McNair, Pearce (now a sophomore) and junior Jelte van Atten. The Eagles were coached by Wade Miller.