The Youngstown State men's and women's cross-country programs were well-represented in this year's Valeo #HLXC All-Academic Teams.
Four Penguin men were honored, as Owen Brady and Tobias Jones were named to the Men's All-Academic Team, and Hunter Christopher and Ryan Meadows were named Honorable Mention All-Academic. Molly Hopple represented the Penguin women as she also received Honorable Mention All-Academic recognition.
This marks the second consecutive season that the Penguin men and women have combined for five members being a part of the Horizon League's All-Academic honorees.
Brady, a redshirt-sophomore Biology major from New Philadelphia, Ohio, garnered his first All-Academic Team selection this season. He currently holds a 4.00 GPA. Brady is coming off a 16th-place finish at this season's Horizon League Championships as he ran a time of 25:05.7. He was an Honorable Mention All-Academic Team selection last year and he is a two-time member of the HL Academic Honor Roll.
Jones, a senior Exercise Science major from Grove City, PA., also received his first selection to the All-Academic Team. He currently holds a 3.81 GPA. Jones was a Second Team All-Horizon League selection this season, as his time of 24:34.9 was good enough for a sixth-place finish at the Horizon League Championships. He is a two-time member of the HL Academic Honor Roll.
Christopher, a fifth-year Dietetics major from Salem, Ohio, received his first Honorable Mention All-Academic selection, and second overall selection as he was a member of the All-Academic Team last season. Christopher captured his second-consecutive individual title in the men's 8K after running a time of 24:11.2. He became the first men's runner to win back-to-back individual Horizon League titles since Andy Baker of Butler won three-straight titles from 2007-2009. Aside from winning back-too-back individual titles, Christopher became the first Penguin and fifth runner in Horizon League history to garner First Team All-Horizon League honors four times.  He is a five-time member of the HL Academic Honor Roll.
Meadows, a graduate student pursuing his master's degree in Professional Communication, graduated from Youngstown State University in Spring 2024 with a degree in Sports Journalism. He currently holds a 3.73 GPA. He earned an impressive fourth academic honor from the Horizon League as his Honorable Mention All-Academic Team selection goes with three selections to the Horizon League's All-Academic Team in each of the past three seasons. Meadows placed fifth at the Horizon League Championships after running a time of 24:31.5. The top-five finish earned him his third-consecutive First Team All-Horizon League selection. He is a seven-time member of the HL Academic Honor Roll.
Hopple, a junior who is majoring in education from Salem, Ohio, received her first academic selection from the league in her collegiate career as she brought home Horizon League Honorable Mention All-Academic honors. She currently holds a 4.00 GPA. Hopple's time of 23:44.4 at the Horizon League Championships earned her a 48th-place finish. She is a two-time member of the HL Academic Honor Roll.
The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes with seasonal Academic All-League Teams in each of its 19 championship sports. To be eligible for Horizon League All-Academic consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits, and participate in 50 percent of the team's overall contests. Honorable mentions are student-athletes who received at least 25 percent of votes but did not make the All-Academic Team.
Full List of #HLXC Academic Honorees:
2024 Valeo #HLXC Men's All-Academic Team
Josh Otten, Detroit Mercy
Noah Jahnke, Green Bay
Luke Shappell, IU Indianapolis
Josiah Magley, Oakland
Nicholas Mills, Purdue Fort Wayne
Colten Morris, RMU
Owen Brady, Youngstown State
Tobias Jones, Youngstown State
Honorable Mention
Nate Kaiser, IU Indianapolis
Colton O'Hara, Northern Kentucky
Hunter Christopher, Youngstown State
Ryan Meadows, Youngstown State
2024 Valeo #HLXC Women's All-Academic Team
Ariana Coats, Cleveland State
Kelsey Radobicky, Green Bay
Cailin Kinas, Milwaukee
Erin Hegarty, Oakland
Grace Nolan, Oakland
Ava Genovese, Purdue Fort Wayne
Riley Tate, Purdue Fort Wayne
Honorable Mention
Natalie Keller, Cleveland State
Ellie Cates, IU Indianapolis
Anelise Egge, Milwaukee
Julia Dill, RMU
Molly Hopple, Youngstown State
