NEW ORLEANS—Jaclyn Denham, Gracie Dupuis, Katie Hawley, Hannah Ryan, and Hannah Wirth represent the Chico State women's cross country program perfectly this fall. Just like Head Coach Gary Towne's team has traditionally performed, the five are among the best of the best in their sport and in the classroom. Each earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors for their accomplishments scholastically, and at the NCAA Championships.
 
In doing so, they helped the Chico State women's program earn the USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team Award as well, thanks to the team's highest combined GPA since 2010 (the year they started the award)—a 3.54! Every Chico State athlete that competed in uniform in 2021 contributed to that honor. This marks the sixth straight time Chico State has earned the honor and seventh time in 11 years.
 
In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, Denham, Dupuis, Hawley, Ryan, and Wirth compiled a GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale, and finished among the top-30 percent of competitors (the top 74) at the NCAA Regional Championships.
 
Denham and Dupuis are each majoring in exercise physiology, Hawley in criminal justice, Ryan in kinesiology, and Wirth in social work. The five are all expected to compete for the Wildcats' track and field team this spring and the cross country team in the fall.