LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Sioux Falls senior cross country athlete Billy Brockmueller was named the NCAA Elite 89 Award winner for the 2014 men's cross country season. The NCAA made the announcement last night (Dec. 2, 2014) at the 2014 Fall Festival in Louisville, Ky. preceding the national championship competitions of four fall sports this week.
This marks the third time Brockmueller has won the highest academic and athletic honor the NCAA bestows upon its athletes. The Elite 89 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's Championships. Majoring in both applied mathematics and computer science with minors in accounting and theology, Brockmueller holds a 4.00 GPA. He previously earned the honor at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships and at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. “Billy is the definition of a student-athlete,” head cross country coach Grant Watley said of his senior's achievement.
“Not only does he put the time and effort into his training but he also stays focused in the classroom with that same dedication. He has high academic and professional goals and he strives to do his best in everything he does. To win the Elite 89 Award once is a huge honor and this is now his third time winning this prestigious award.”
Brockmueller has hopes of repeating as an All-American in cross country this year as he leads the 12th-ranked Cougars into the NCAA Championships on Saturday. He placed 39th at the NCAA Championships last year, helping the Cougars to an 18th-place finish, the highest finish in program history. As an athlete, Brockmueller has collected a host of awards, earning All-NSIC and All-Region honors in each of the past three cross country seasons and was an All-NSIC and All-Region honoree in both indoor and outdoor track last year. He holds the USF record in the indoor mile and 10,000-meter run and is part of the record-holding indoor distance medley relay team.
Off the course/track, Brockmueller is equally competitive, maintaining a flawless grade point average while serving the community. He has assisted with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which provides a free service to support low-income families with the filing of their taxes. He has also offered his time to the Sioux Falls Furniture Mission, the Food Pantry, the Ronald McDonald House, and with Feed My Starving Children throughout his time at USF.
Saturday's NCAA Championship race will begin at 10 a.m. CT in Louisville as Brockmueller and the Cougars seek a top-ten finish and improve upon their highest team finish in program history from one year ago.
