ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In the wake of his Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship, Drake senior Reed Fischer has collected numerous academic awards from the MVC this week.
Following his conference title, Fischer has been named the MVC Elite 18 Award winner, the Eagle Bank MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week and was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
The MVC Elite 18 award honors the highest achievement in academics and athletics by a student-athlete in each MVC-sponsored sport. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Academic Recognition Award Program, the MVC Elite 18 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average competing at the finals site at each of the MVC's 18 team championships.
A member of either the Drake men's or women's cross country team has now won the prestigious award in each of the last three seasons.
Fischer, who owns a 3.81 grade point average as an English and Public Relations major, won the MVC Championship with an 8k time of 24.31.8 to win by more than seven seconds and set a course record on the Pheasant Ridge course in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The win was his first MVC title after finishing as the runner-up last season.
With the championship, Fischer became the 13th men's cross country student-athlete at Drake to become an MVC Champion with Drake's 16th overall individual cross country title.
The MVC also named Fischer its Eagle Bank MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Nov. 1. The honor is the third this season for Fischer and the sixth for a Bulldog this season. To qualify for MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week award, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.
Finally, Fischer was named to the MVC Cross Country Scholar-Athlete team for his performance at the MVC Championship and in the classroom. The honor is the second straight for Fischer.
Fischer and the Bulldogs will return to the course on Nov. 11 in Iowa City, Iowa, to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship for a spot in the NCAA Championships.
