NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Excellence in the classroom continues to be a defining attribute of the College of Saint Benedict women's cross country program.
Mary Kenney
For the 29th consecutive season, the Bennies earned United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honors. Saint Benedict was one of 220 Division III women's teams nationwide to receive the distinction, finishing the 2025 fall semester with an impressive cumulative team GPA of 3.76. Teams must post a minimum GPA of 3.10 to qualify.
Excluding the 2020 season, when MIAC and NCAA championships were canceled due to COVID-19, Saint Benedict has earned All-Academic Team recognition every year since at least 1996, totaling 29 straight seasons and 30 overall dating back to 1993.
In addition to the team honor, junior Mary Kenney was recognized individually as a USTFCCCA All-Academic athlete for her achievements on the course and in the classroom. Individual honorees must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher and place in the top 25 percent at their regional championship meet.
Kenney, a senior nursing major from Woodbury, Minn. (East Ridge High School), was also recently named to the Academic All-MIAC team for the third consecutive year. She helped lead Saint Benedict to a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Division III North Region Championship, posting a time of 23:31.8 to place 47th among 207 runners. The performance marked an improvement in both time and placement from her 53rd-place finish (23:32.5) at last year's meet.
