Morrisville — Cazenovia native Byron Evans, a junior cross country runner at Morrisville State, has been selected to be part of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III All-Academic Team, according to a release from the college. Evans is one of 268 men to nab the USTFCCCA All-Academic honor, and the first Mustang in program history to do so as well.
To earn the distinction, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher and finish in the top 25 percent at their respective NCAA regional.
Evans paced the Mustangs in their first appearance at the East Regional held at Dickinson College, finishing with a time of 26 minutes and four seconds in the 8K course to place 25th overall in the region. His time and place finish earned him the programs first All-Region accolade, while he shattered the Morrisville State record books to sit at the top with the best time registered in Mustang history.
“Byron is an amazing student-athlete and a pleasure to coach,” said head coach Derek Powers. “He truly puts his heart into everything he does and this award is reflective of his commitment to not just athletics, but to academics as well.”
Evans is a three-time All-Conference selection for the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) earning first team honors the past two seasons. He is one of three in the NEAC to receive the academic honor through the USTFCCCA in 2016.
“Not only has the cross country team benefitted by Byron’s attendance at our college, the entire institution is better because he chose to pursue his degree at Morrisville State,” said Athletic Director Greg Carroll. “Every campus has those students who they hope visitors get the chance to interact with; for us Byron is that student. His record of athletic and academic accomplishments has set the bar for all our student-athletes to strive for.”
“Within the cross country program he is really respected for the work ethic he brings to his running. It’s clear that he brings that same commitment to his academic obligations as the success speaks for itself,” Carroll said.
The junior is majoring in automotive technology at Morrisville State. He is the son of Merry and Jim Evans of Cazenovia.
