• Track team honored for academics: The Muhlenberg women’s outdoor track and field team has received all-academic honors from the United States Track Coaches Association. Teams are eligible for the honor if they had a minimum of 14 members who participated in the 2001 outdoor season and have a minimum 3.100 cumulative grade-point average as a group. The Mules ranked 13th in Division III with an aggregate GPA of 3.382.

The Muhlenberg cross country teams will run at “home” for the only time all season when they host the Mule Classic tomorrow, with 14 women’s teams and 11 men’s teams competing.

The women’s 5-kilometer race is scheduled to start at 10:00, with the starting gun for the men’s 8-kilometer race set to go off an hour later. Both courses begin and end behind Lees Hall on the campus of Cedar Crest College.

The Muhlenberg women placed second out of seven teams in last year’s race, with senior captain Katie Garrett placing ninth out of 84 runners, while sophomores Diana Garretto and Erica Norey finished 15th and 18th, respectively. The Mules are seeking their first Mule Classic championship since 1997.

Other teams and runners to look for in the women’s race:

Bryn Mawr finished third at the 2000 Mule Classic, led by senior Kira Porton, who placed 21st. The Mawrters won the invite in 1998 ... Cabrini has gotten off to a nice start this season, placing third at Marywood and second at the Arcadia Invitational .... Moravian, the defending champion, will be competing with mostly its JV team in this race. Senior Amanda Samok placed seventh last year ... Jenny Clayton of Richard Stockton placed 17th at the Mule Classic last year ... Rowan, running for the first time in 2001, was 10th at the 2000 NCAA Atlantic Regional ... University of the Sciences will be represented by junior Chrissy Woodruff, who was 20th last year and placed second at the Abington Invitational this season

The Muhlenberg men tied for first with Moravian in last year's Mule Classic, with four returning runners in the top 20: junior Brendan Gallagher (second), sophomore Rob Uniszkiewicz (fourth), sophomore Brian Cash (ninth) and junior Robin Holden (13th).

Other teams and runners to look for in the men’s race:

Arcadia freshman Russ Orr placed ninth out of 70 runners at the Arcadia Invitational last week ... Defending co-champion Moravian is scheduled to send only one representative ... Richard Stockton won the Mule Classic in 1998 and earned a third-place finish at last year's race. Sophomore Matt Parkinson crossed the line 11th, the highest finish by someone not from Muhlenberg or Moravian ... Junior John Garton of Rowan qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in 2000 ... University of the Sciences is led senior Erik Soderblom, who finished third at the Abington Invitational last weekend and 22nd at the Mule Classic last year.