Veith, Bloom Earn Academic All-MAC Recognitions

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo cross country runners Mary Veith and Ryan Bloom have been selected to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference men's and women's teams, the league announced from its Cleveland headquarters today.

Mary Veith

Veith, a senior chemistry major with a 3.74 grade point average, earned her third consecutive nod to the list as she finished third at the MAC Cross Country Championships in a season-best 17:16.4 for 5K and earning first-team All-MAC honors in the race. She also competed in several 6K races in 2008 with a top finish of 21:21 at the Paul Short Invitational earning 37th place of 301 runners and was 40th of 247 at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in 22:34.4. Veith posted three top 10 finishes in the 2008 season for the Bulls as she was UB's top placer in all six races that she entered.

Ryan Bloom

Bloom, a sophomore mathematics major with a 3.31 grade point average, became UB’s first All-MAC First-Team honoree since 2002 when he finished fifth at the MAC Championships in 24:44.9, his season-best for 8K. Bloom also finished third at the Bowling Green Falcon Invitational (25:03.82) and had four top 10 finishes in six races this season. He also finished 34th of 239 at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in 33:00.4 for 10K.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered. The Academic All-MAC team is voted on by the league's faculty athletic representatives. The total number of honorees is set for a specific sport or 33 percent of all nominees, whichever is greater. The remainder of the league's nominees were named as Academic Honorable Mention selections.