NEW ORLEANS (July 10) ­ Seattle Pacific University finished second among NCAA Division II women's teams in the 2007 U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association academic team of the year competition.

The Falcons, with a team cumulative grade point average of 3.550, were runners-up to national champion Lincoln (Mo.). SPU had taken seventh in both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. Only Michigan Tech (3.580) had a higher team GPA. The Seattle Pacific men also had the No. 2 GPA (3.240).

The USTFCCCA Team of the Year award is based on a combination of athletic and academic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the best finish at the national championships and also holding the highest cumulative GPA.

Seven members of the SPU women's squad and one male earned individual all-academic honors from the USTFCCCA.

Teona Perkins (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.), who was earlier chosen as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholar and Academic All-America by CoSIDA, was joined by Jane Larson (Fr., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), Jennifer Marsh (Sr., Kirkland, Wa./Juanita), Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake), Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker), Monica Anderson (Jr., Bremerton, Wa.) and Tracie Lundsten (Fr., Banks, Or.).

Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.), an alternate for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, was the sole men's honoree.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, one must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 and obtain an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark for the most recent indoor and/or outdoor championships in their respective event.