NEW ORLEANS, La.- The Battlin' Bear men's XC team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors, with six student-athletes earning individual honors. Additionally, Coach Mike McLean was named the NAIA West Region Coach of the Year. 

To qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other requirements. The Battlin' Bears were one of three Frontier Conference programs to earn recognition, joining Bellevue University and Dakota State. 

To qualify for individual All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and qualify for the national championship meet. Six Battlin' Bears were recognized individually; below are Rocky's honorees. 

Matthew Conrad (Jr. / Colbert, Wash.)
Justin Glass (Sr. / St. Louis, Mo.)
Joseph Orndorff (Sr. / Cody, Wyo.)
John Spinti (So. / Great Falls, Mont.)
Corbyn Svec (Sr. / Billings, Mont.)
Zachary Zwiesler (Jr. / Spokane, Wash.)

Head Coach Mike McLean was recognized as the USTFCCCA West Region Men's Coach of the Year. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

In the program's most successful season in its history, Coach McLean led the Battlin' Bears to a Frontier Conference Championship, the second under his tenure, as well as a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship. Rocky earned their highest national ranking in program history at sixth, finishing the season as the seventh-ranked team in the NAIA.