AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2022 men's and women's cross country Teams of Academic Distinction, presented by Barnes & Noble College, and four Sand Sharks - Jacob Mitchell, Travis Patten, Eli Smith and Cydney Stevenson - were tabbed to the teams. 

The teams are part of the PBC's larger initiative to celebrate the academic achievements of PBC student-athletes and is modeled on the CoSIDA Academic All-America program.

To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team's events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

On the men's team, three Sand Sharks were named to the team. Smith led the trio with the highest GPA at 3.956, as he majors in studio art. Right behind him was Mitchell and Patten, as they sport 3.774 and 3.75 GPAs - respectively. 

As the lone representative on the women's team, Stevenson is majoring in nursing and has a strong GPA of 3.903. 

To read the Peach Belt Conference's official press release, click HERE.