WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 19) – Excellence does not stop at the finish line for the Waynesburg University women's cross country team. It carries into classrooms, study tables and late nights preparing for exams. The past fall, the Yellow Jackets boasted an extraordinary 3.82 team GPA. That impressive number not only earned them All-Academic Team status from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), but it ranked them 15^th out of 216 teams across the country that received the recognition.
 
The Waynesburg men also received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team status with a 3.44 squad GPA.
 
"My education has been my top priority while at Waynesburg," senior captain Grace Tanksley (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence) said. "I wanted to be a scientist when I was little, so that is what I came here to do. I am not a crazy smart person. I rarely get things right on the first attempt, so I have to work hard. Seeing all of my hard work and stress pay off has made me very happy."
 
Tanksley picked up her own round of applause from the USTFCCCA as an All-Academic Athlete.
 
Her teammate and fellow captain Lilly Ryer (Indiana, Pa. / Marion Center) echoed that same standard of effort.
 
"Every year, my teammates and I hold each other to a high standard academically and athletically," Ryer said. "Whether it is during practice or sitting in a classroom, we always strive to put forth our best effort."
 
That shared accountability often looks the same as it does on the course, where working together in just as important as the individual sweat and effort.
 
"We often hold study tables together in the library to help each other during exam weeks," Ryer explained.
 
The results of this carefully choreographed teamwork have been historic. In addition to national academic recognition from the USTFCCCA, the program has produced multiple valedictorians in recent years.
 
Gabrielle Reifsnyder, valedictorian of the Class of 2024, described the team as "a family" that studies together, collaborates and supports one another so everyone can succeed.
 
"It was really exciting to hear that I was valedictorian," Reifsnyder said. "I felt honored to know that the team has had such great academic success and that I was a part of that."
 
Rachel Pellegrino, valedictorian of the Class of 2022, believes that environment made all the difference.
 
"Being a part of a team that values the work you do in the classroom just as much as the weight room or on the track is extremely important," Pellegrino said. "My coaches and teammates pushed me in workouts just as much as they did in the classroom."
 
For Tanksley, earning USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition was meaningful not just individually, but collectively.
 
"It is an opportunity to showcase my hard work in school and athletics," she said. "I am happy to have that recognition alongside some amazing individuals that I have had the honor to compete against."
 
However, the captains stress that success requires sacrifice.
 
"Being a student-athlete is not easy," Tanksley admitted. "Even so, I expect my ladies and myself to always strive for the best grades possible. We have a lot to prove outside of running and only hard work, dedication and support from one another will get us to our goals."
 
Ryer agrees, noting that maintaining NCAA All-Academic Team recognition takes consistent effort.
 
"Personally, I hold myself to a very high standard academically," she said. "College is my way of preparing myself for my future. The way we strive together is to hold each other accountable in the classroom and at practice."
 
That accountability extends beyond graduation. Reifsnyder reflected on how balancing athletics, rigorous classes, internships and student teaching prepared her for life after college.
 
"You had to find ways to put quality effort into all areas of life," she said. "That balance shaped where we all are now."
 
Pellegrino added that discipline and balance learned as a student-athlete continue to influence her daily life.
 
"You're more likely to succeed if you have balance in your life," she said. "Showing up for yourself every single day, even the days you don't want to, makes a difference."
 
Behind the scenes, Head Coach Chris Hardie reinforces the program's academic mission.
 
"Academics are always our top priority," Hardie said. "We are all on the same page about that; the coaches, the athletes, our recruits."
 
He emphasizes the utmost importance of learning in every meeting, making it clear that academics are always the top priority, while practice and competition come after that. He admits that academic awards energize him just as much as championships.
 
"Academic awards get me fired up just as much as winning a conference championship," Hardie said.
 
He speaks from experience, as he guided the Jacket women to six-straight Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) titles from 2016 to 2021.
 
The captains play a key role in sustaining that culture.
 
"The captains are an extension of the coaching staff," Hardie explained. "They have to model good academic standing and challenge their teammates."
 
Tanksley understands that responsibility deeply.
 
"If I do not do well academically it can affect my teammates' chances of being recognized," she said. "As a captain, it is my job to help them succeed."
 
At its core, the Waynesburg women's cross country program believes the habits built in the classroom translate directly to performance on the course.
 
"There is a strong correlation between working hard academically and working hard athletically," Ryer said.
 
Or, as Tanksley summed it up, "We are a team on the course and in the classroom."
 
With national rankings, conference honors and multiple valedictorians to its name, the program continues to prove that success is not defined by first-place finishes alone; but by the relentless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of life.