SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Three members of the Syracuse University men's track & field team were named All-Academic honorees by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The trio proved they could compete on the track as well as perform in the classroom on an elite level. The 2009-10 year marked the final season in orange for all three student-athletes.

Seniors Curtis Bixler and Dan Busby along with graduate-student Jeff Scull each earned a spot on the prestigious list.

To qualify for this honor, a student-athlete must compile a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher through the second semester of the 2009-10 academic year. They must also have met the NCAA Division I automatic or provisional qualifying standards or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event. The list was comprised of a record total of 357 Division I men, representing 118 institutions.

This past season, the Orange earned the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Rate (APR) public recognition award for the first time in school history. Both the men's indoor and outdoor programs achieved an APR score in the top 10 percent of teams in Division I track and field.

Bixler, a geology major, crossed the finish line in 12th place in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 9:01.70 at the IC4A meet. His success on and off the track earned him the 2010 Soladay Award, which is the most prestigious honor for a student-athlete given by the SU Department of Athletics.

Busby, a dual major in finance and accounting, finished second in the 5,000m event at the Stanford Invite with a time of 13:57.65.

Scull, a exercise science graduate student, earned a 10th-place finish in the 5,000m run with a time of 14:03.56 at the Stanford Invite. He was recently voted to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Men's Track and Cross County Third Team and named the 2010 Cross Country NCAA Elite 88 Award winner.