Annville, PA (January 22, 2016) – Four DeSales University women's cross country runners including freshman Angelina Biondo, junior Beth Dauer, senior Abby Labar, and sophomore Veronica Wheeler were named to the Women's Cross Country Academic All-MAC Team as announced by the conference office on Friday morning.
 
The team consists of 10 runners from both the MAC Freedom and MAC Commonwealth teams voted on and selected by the Sports Information Directors of the MAC schools highlighting each student-athletes academic and athletic credentials.  To be eligible you must have a 3.2 GPA for the 2015 Fall semester.  Said MAC Executive Director Ken Andrews, "These recipients represent the true meaning of a student-athlete.  This is one of the top conference awards we give out each season. It honors our student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the playing field."
 
Athletically Wheeler led the four-some taking second at the MAC Championships to earn All-MAC First-Team honors, fifth at the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships to earn All-Region honors, and qualified for the NCAA Division III Nationals Championships where she placed 57^th out of 280 runners.
 
Biondo was just behind Wheeler athletically taking third at the MAC Championships to earn All-MAC First-Team honors and MAC Rookie of the Year honors and was 21^st at the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships to also earn All-Region honors and All-Region Freshman Team honors.  She missed also qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships by just seven seconds.
 
Labar placed 11^th at the MAC Championships to earn All-MAC Second-Team honors and Dauer was just behind her in 12^th place to also earn All-MAC Second-Team honors.  Labar was 87^th at the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships and Dauer finished 41^st, just six spots away from earning All-Region honors.
 
Labar earned a 3.76 GPA in the fall semester as a sport & exercise science major, Dauer a 3.75 GPA as a medical studies major, Wheeler a 3.36 GPA as a biology major, and Biondo a 3.32 GPA as a nursing major.
 
MAC Women's Cross Country Academic All-MAC Team
Angelina Biondo (DeSales University)
Beth Dauer (DeSales University)
Marissa Durako (King's College)
Bethany Killmon (Misericordia University)
Abby Labar (DeSales University)
Kelsey Patrick (Lebanon Valley College)
Alissa Rogers (Messiah College)
Amy Viti (Misericordia University)
Veronica Wheeler (DeSales University)
Kierra Zack (Eastern University)