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After naming three Cardinals to the All-Academic Team earlier this week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association continued to honor Lamar on Thursday as it recognized both the men’s and women’s program with the prestigious All-Academic designation.

"We stress the importance of being a committed student-athlete,” head coach Trey Clark said. “I'm always proud to see our teams earn the recognition they deserve for the amount of hard work they put in during practice and competitions as well as in the classroom."

The USTFCCCA reserves the All-Academic status for those teams that carry a cumulative team grade point average greater than 3.00. LU ranks as one of just 81 across the country and the only program in the Southland Conference to have both the men’s and women’s team pick up the award. Baylor is the only other school in Texas to earn a spot on the list.

"It's certainly an achievement to be the only public school in Texas to be honored,” Clark said. “There are some great student-athletes all across the state and region, and it really speaks to the dedication of our team and academic staff to pick up awards like this."

The LU men’s program ended the 2012 season with a cumulative GPA of 3.07 to lead the Southland Conference. The women’s team led the league as well, carrying a 3.11 average and joining McNeese State as the only other SLC team to be named an All-Academic team.