June 1, 2006

Wayne State junior cross country runner Jenni Culbertson (Clinton Twp., Mich./Dakota) has been named to the 2006 ESPN the Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District IV First Team for women's track and cross country.

Culbertson, a two-time GLIAC All-Academic team honoree, has had a perfect 4.00 grade-point average in accounting all six semesters at WSU.

She earned First Team All-Great Lakes Region honors as a freshman in 2003 after placing 13th in the regional. She was also named GLIAC Freshman of the Year as well as earning First Team All-GLIAC accolades.

The following year she earned national academic honors from the Cross Country Coaches Association after finishing in the top 10 in each of her first six races. She was selected GLIAC Runner of the Week after placing second in the Michigan Intercollegiate.

During the 2005 cross country season, Culbertson earned All-GLIAC Second Team honors after finishing 11th at the GLIAC Championship. She was WSU's top finisher in three races and had four top-seven finishes. In addition, she was named the WSU Athletic Department's Deans' Award winner for the second straight year which goes to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative gpa enrolled in that college.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. The District IV team is compiled from Michigan, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee including NCAA Division II and III institutions plus NAIA schools.

Culbertson and Ferris State's Jenny Irwin were the only non-Division III student-athletes named to the First Team.