Student-Athletes Earn National Academic Honors

Student-Athletes Earn National Honors

Hare, Magut, Williams-Weaver Named to Academic Teams

Belmont University recently received word that three student-athletes have been honored for oustanding academic achievements. Senior Justin Hare added to his lengthy and distinguished list of accolades Tuesday, as he was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America University Division Men’s Basketball First Team. In addition, after recording two of the most distinguished individual running seasons in program history, cross country student-athletes Kipkosgei Magut and Lauren Williams-Weaver were named to their respective 2007 NCAA Division I U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic teams Monday.

Hare, a Cleveland, Tenn. native who sports a 3.87 GPA in his major of exercise science and health promotion, received Academic All-District honors for a third consecutive year earlier this month. He plans to attend medical school upon graduation. Hare earned Second Team Academic All-America honors last year and is one of three men’s basketball players in school history to be so honored, joining Wes Burtner (2001, 2002) and Adam Mark (2002, 2003, 2004).

“Justin joins a very elite group of student-athletes in being named First Team Academic All-American,” Belmont head coach Rick Byrd said. “The honor is a result of hard work on the basketball floor and many hours of study in the limited hours away from class, practice and competition. He has continued the Belmont tradition begun by Wes Burtner and Adam Mark and is an exemplary role model for future players to emulate. All of us in the Belmont Basketball family are proud of him and happy for him.”

Magut, a junior from Kitale, Kenya, became just the sixth runner in Atlantic Sun Conference history to successfully defend his individual title at the conference championships. He led Belmont to a sixth consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference team title. Moreover, Magut was named to the All-South Region Team for a second straight year following a 13th place showing at the NCAA South Regional Championships. He also has been named Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete at the 2006 and 2007 Atlantic Sun Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Likewise, Williams-Weaver has been nothing short of remarkable in her Bruin career. Already a multiple All-Atlantic Sun performer, the senior from Nashville, Tenn. saved her best for last by lapping the field at this year’s Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championships, earning Runner of the Year and individual title honors in leading the Bruins to their sixth conference crown in seven years. Then after posting a fifth place finish at the NCAA South Regional Championships, Williams-Weaver placed an exemplary 45th out of the 253 best runners in the nation at the NCAA Championship meet.

Magut is a marketing major, Williams-Weaver an exercise science major. Both are repeat Academic All-Conference honorees.