NEW ORLEANS, La. --- South Dakota School of Mines junior cross country scholar athlete Chase Wood earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors for the 2018 season announced Thursday while both the Hardrocker men's and women's cross country teams earned All-Academic Teams honors.

Individual All-Academic honors are awarded to those athletes who have compiled a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finished among the Top 30 percent of eligible runners at his or her regional championships and/or the top half of the field at the NCAA Championships.

Wood, a junior Chemical Engineering major from Las Vegas, Nevada, finished the South Central Region Cross Country Championships 8K race -- held Nov. 3, 2018 in Denver, Colorado -- in 51^st place (out of 126) after clocking a time of 26 minutes 47.9 seconds.

"We're very proud of Chase's accomplishments," said Hardrocker cross country head coach Steve Johnson. "He's a terrific example of what it truly means to be a scholar-athlete. He had a great cross country season and we're happy to see him recognized for his hard work."

The SD Mines men's and women's XC teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors for the seventh consecutive year.

The Hardrocker men's squad finished the season with a 3.09 team GPA while the Hardrocker women's team posted a 3.3 GPA. To qualify teams must have compiled a cumulative GPA or 3.00 or greater and scored at an NCAA Div. II regional meet to qualify for the award.

The Hardrocker squads fulfilled both requirements after competing at the NCAA Div. II South Central Regional Cross Country Championships. The men's team placed 11th while the women's team finished in 30^th place.

"Our men and women have worked very hard in the classroom, in practice and in competition to earn this distinction. These awards are well deserved," Johnson said. "And to continue to do it on a consistent basis really speaks to the kind of scholar athletes we are bringing to the institution. I'm very proud of this group."