2008 Woodie Awards
Women Runners also Successful in the Classroom
Anne Carlson: Muleskinner
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Sports
The Jennies' Cross Country team has a tradition of excelling, not just on the field, but in the classroom.
The women have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.81. This is the highest the team's GPA has been during coach Kirk Pederson's 21 years at UCM.
"I am going to guess this is the highest GPA for a team ever at UCM," Pederson said. "This is obviously an outstanding group. That GPA is a cumulative, not just for the fall term, and most of these girls are upper classmen. In my mind, that makes it harder."
The team does not set any goals to get a high GPA, but Pederson and some of the team members said it's just expected.
"We do not set any goals as a team but the girls do have individual goals," Pederson said. "They all have different things that motivate them. The upperclassman have high GPAs and expect to get a 4.0."
"Getting a high team GPA is just something we expect to do," said senior runner Alison Kelley. "It starts with the older girls, and the younger girls just follow their leadership."
Kelley is an English education major. Through seven semesters, Kelley has received only one B. She has a current GPA of 3.97.
"We don't have to set goals as a team, we just have high expectations of ourselves," said junior runner Sandy Davison, a secondary math education major with a 3.81 GPA.
Pederson and Kelley attribute the team's high GPA to the fact the team is full of "perfectionists."
"It is a group where obviously academics come first," Pederson said. "They are all perfectionists in everything they do. Many of them are involved in other campus activities, and hold jobs as they have a full plate. Everything they do, they want to do at a high level."
"Cross Country runners are hard workers by nature," Kelley said. "We strive to be perfectionists. I think that is reflected in our GPA."
The team is made up of eight runners, and of those eight, five are education majors.
Pederson said that one member did her student teaching this past fall, two are currently student teaching and the other two will next year.
"I think that right there says a lot about the future of teachers coming out of Central Missouri," Pederson said.
The team also said they expect the GPA to remain high.
"I don't see any reason why our GPA should go down," Kelley said. "It should be just as good next semester, if not even better."
"This group has traditionally been strong in this area," Pederson said. "Their GPA has been over a 3.5 for a number of years as a group. They take pride in it, and I, as a coach, am proud of every one of them.
"It is a joy to coach these types of athletes."
The women have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.81. This is the highest the team's GPA has been during coach Kirk Pederson's 21 years at UCM.
"I am going to guess this is the highest GPA for a team ever at UCM," Pederson said. "This is obviously an outstanding group. That GPA is a cumulative, not just for the fall term, and most of these girls are upper classmen. In my mind, that makes it harder."
The team does not set any goals to get a high GPA, but Pederson and some of the team members said it's just expected.
"We do not set any goals as a team but the girls do have individual goals," Pederson said. "They all have different things that motivate them. The upperclassman have high GPAs and expect to get a 4.0."
"Getting a high team GPA is just something we expect to do," said senior runner Alison Kelley. "It starts with the older girls, and the younger girls just follow their leadership."
Kelley is an English education major. Through seven semesters, Kelley has received only one B. She has a current GPA of 3.97.
"We don't have to set goals as a team, we just have high expectations of ourselves," said junior runner Sandy Davison, a secondary math education major with a 3.81 GPA.
Pederson and Kelley attribute the team's high GPA to the fact the team is full of "perfectionists."
"It is a group where obviously academics come first," Pederson said. "They are all perfectionists in everything they do. Many of them are involved in other campus activities, and hold jobs as they have a full plate. Everything they do, they want to do at a high level."
"Cross Country runners are hard workers by nature," Kelley said. "We strive to be perfectionists. I think that is reflected in our GPA."
The team is made up of eight runners, and of those eight, five are education majors.
Pederson said that one member did her student teaching this past fall, two are currently student teaching and the other two will next year.
"I think that right there says a lot about the future of teachers coming out of Central Missouri," Pederson said.
The team also said they expect the GPA to remain high.
"I don't see any reason why our GPA should go down," Kelley said. "It should be just as good next semester, if not even better."
"This group has traditionally been strong in this area," Pederson said. "Their GPA has been over a 3.5 for a number of years as a group. They take pride in it, and I, as a coach, am proud of every one of them.
"It is a joy to coach these types of athletes."
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