NEW ORLEANS — Excellence on the course has been matched stride for stride in the classroom by the Ouachita Cross Country program as five Tigers were named All-Academic Athletes for the 2025 season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finish in the top 30 percent at their respective regional championship meet.

Four members of the women's team, including juniors Ellie Hoemann and Lucy Holden, along with seniors Allison Hylkema and Katelynn Nachtigal were selected to the All-Academic team. The Ouachita women's team posted an impressive 3.79 team GPA to earn All-Academic Team honors, ranking inside the top 10 highest team GPAs among NCAA Division II schools. 

Nachtigal took fourth to pace the Tigers at the Great American Conference Championships, clocking a personal-best 5K time of 17:51.9. Hylkema followed and placed sixth with a finishing time of 18:00.3. Hoemann opened the season with a seventh-place finish at the Bob Gravett Invitational with a personal-best 5K time of 18:35.4. Holden finished in 18th at the GAC Championships with a personal-best time of 18:36.3. 

Freshman Caleb Greenwich was the lone runner on the men's team to earn All-Academic honors. Greenwich was named the GAC Freshman of the Year after he set a school record with a 24:30.9 finish to take seventh place in the 10K run at the GAC Championships. The Ouachita men's team posted a 3.53 cumulative team GPA to be selected among the D2 All-Academic Teams. 

The recognition reinforces the foundation of Ouachita's Cross Country program, highlighting a culture centered on academic success, while competing in some of the most challenging D2 landscapes. For five student-athletes at Ouachita, an All-Academic distinction is a testament to the discipline required to thrive on the course.