INDIANAPOLIS – The Syracuse University men's and women's cross country teams have capped their most successful season in program history, as they have been named the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Rate (APR) public recognition award-winners. It is the fourth consecutive year the Orange harriers have boasted an APR score in the top 10 percent of teams in Division I cross country.

"It's a nice feather in our cap for our very good year in our cross country program," said head coach Chris Fox. "It shows that our kids, although dedicated to our sport, are also dedicated to being great student-athletes."

The Orange men are one of 38 Division I teams to earn the scholastic honor, while the women join a list of 42. Both teams are among four BIG EAST affiliates to claim the accolade in cross country, while Syracuse is the only school in the conference to be represented by both the men and women cross country programs.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000.