Burgstahler earns academic XC honor for second time

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Six Saint John’s University cross country student-athletes received 2016 Academic All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors on Thursday, including former Sandpoint three-sport athlete Matthew Burgstahler.

The junior, an integrative health science major with a 4.0 GPA, the lone Johnnie runner with a perfect GPA.

In order to qualify for MIAC Academic All-Conference recognition, student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Athletically, student-athletes in cross country must be a member of their team’s top seven at the MIAC Championship or finish in the top 100 at the meet.

The MIAC recognized the most Fall Academic All-Conference honorees in conference history with 381, up from the previous record of 357 set last fall.

The Johnnies recorded the most men’s honorees with 34, followed by a tie between Bethel and St. Thomas with 22.

A two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, Burgstahler finished 26th (27:02) at the MIAC Championship and 65th (26:45) at the NCAA Central Regional this fall. He also achieved the distinction in outdoor track and field last spring, placing seventh outdoors in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

He ran both track and cross country for Matt and Angie Brass at SHS, and will compete this spring in the steeplechase for the Johnnies track team.