Trio lands on GNAC all-academic team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 3, 2015 Trio of women’s cross country runners named academic all-conference MSUB Distance on Facebook MSUB Cross Country Stack on ISSUU Yellowjacket Award Winners GNAC Release

Senior Jinise Trueblood heads up a trio of MSUB women’s cross country runners named to conference all-academic team.

MSUB has a trio of runners from the women’s cross country team being honored this year for academic excellence.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A trio of runners from the MSU Billings women’s cross country teams were named to the 2015 Great Northwest Athletic Conference academic all-conference team announced Tuesday.

Senior Jinise Trueblood headed up the MSUB list as the health and human performance major entered the team with a 3.99 cumulative grade point average. She is followed by senior Brielle Davis, a psychiatric rehabilitation major, carrying a 3.67 and junior Rio Frame, an English major, who was named to the all-conference team with a 3.53 cumulative grade point average.

Trueblood was one of seven 3-time honorees. Frame was one of 16 2-time members to the list. As a transfer studentathlete last season for the Yellowjackets, Davis was not eligible for the academic honor until this season.

“Our three cross country women have been excellent students the entire time they’ve been at MSUB and it’s great to see them recognized for their efforts,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “It’s certainly a big part of our team culture to excel academically and they’ve been a big part of our team’s success in that area. It’s tough to juggle intercollegiate athletics and academic success with the workouts, travel and competition for the entire school year.

They’ve all managed keep things well-balanced and become successful student-athletes.”

To be eligible for the GNAC all-academic team, student-athletes must be a projected letter winner, have a minimum grade point average of 3.30, and be in at least their second year of competition at their university.

A total of 57 athletes representing 10 of 11 member schools were named to the women’s cross country all-academic team. Concordia’s Jessica Jansen led the squad as the only female with a 4.00 GPA as a nursing major.

Montana State University Billings Name Major Year GPA Brielle Davis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Sr. 3.67 *Rio Frame English Jr. 3.53 **Jinise Trueblood Health & Human Performance Sr. 3.99 * - denotes two-time selection ** - denotes three-time selection

Hometown Billings, Mont.

Glendive, Mont.

Columbia Falls, Mont.

Up next for MSU Billings is the 2015 NCAA west region championships. The Yellowjackets travel to Monmouth, Ore., for the event on Saturday Nov. 7, hosted by Western Oregon University.

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