Army West Point Athletics
Beatty Named Scholar Athlete of the Year; Three Black Knights Named Academic All-Patriot League
March 16, 2021 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Patriot League Conference announced their yearly cross country scholar athlete awards on Tuesday afternoon and three members of the Army West Point men's and women's cross country teams received recognition.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
After winning the Patriot League Cross Country Championships and being named the Patriot League Outstanding Performer of the Meet, Marshall Beatty was selected as the 2021 Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Missoula, Mont. native led the Black Knights to their 11th conference title and fourth straight since the 1993-1996 teams. The junior was also selected to represent Army and the Patriot League at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday afternoon where he competed to a 159th finish marked at 32:19.6. Beatty's selection comes as a result of his continued ability to compete to the highest level both on the course and in the classroom, tallying a 3.65 cumulative GPA.Â
"Marshall Beatty has collected a lot of athletic awards in his career and I am proud of him for all that he has accomplished but I am equally proud of how he has performed in the classroom," said head coach Mike Smith. "This award is a reflection of his commitment to do his best at everything he does. In a time of great uncertainty and trying circumstances, Marshall has not wavered in his pursuit of excellence. I am happy for him to see his hard work rewarded with this type of recognition."
Beatty's successes also secured him a spot on the Academic All-Patriot League Team alongside teammates Garrett Gough and Mika Andrews who were listed amongst the conferences best and brightest.
Gough finished eighth at the Patriot League Championships with a time of 22:09.5, earning him second-team All-League honors. The sophomore was a top competitor for the Black Knights in 2020 (21) continuously getting better with each appearance. Gough finished 17th against Syracuse with a time of 23:48, ninth at the tri meet with Syracuse and BC with a time of 25:31 and eighth in the Army-Navy Star Series dual meet with a time of 24:45. The Nevada City, Calif. native is a history major and currently holds a 3.40 cumulative GPA.Â
"Garrett has a tremendous work ethic which has propelled him to very competitive athletic performances," said Smith. "He has been a big part of our recent success and his discipline extends to everything that he does. He works hard at his studies and I am pleased to see him be recognized for his efforts in the classroom."
Andrews was one of three top 10 finishers for the women's team at the Patriot League Championships. The senior captain notched a ninth place finish with a time of 20:20, moving ahead of her 2019 finish of 12th , 2018 finish of 15th and 2017 finish of 22nd. Andrews has been a staple for the Black Knights in her four years, including being named a captain this season. She finished seventh in all three meets leading up to the Patriot League Championship, recording a time of 17:55 against Syracuse in the season opener, 18:12 in the tri meet against Syracuse and BC and 22:04 in the Army-Navy Star Series dual meet. Andrews is a history major and currently boasts a 3.80 GPA.
"I expect our captains to lead our team in all areas of our program," said Smith. "Their demonstrated excellence sets the standard for everyone else in the program. Mika has been one of our most consistent performers in cross country and on the track and has always been one of the top students in the class of 2021. I am not surprised at all that she is being recognized for her academic performance. She is a star."
Â
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
After winning the Patriot League Cross Country Championships and being named the Patriot League Outstanding Performer of the Meet, Marshall Beatty was selected as the 2021 Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Missoula, Mont. native led the Black Knights to their 11th conference title and fourth straight since the 1993-1996 teams. The junior was also selected to represent Army and the Patriot League at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday afternoon where he competed to a 159th finish marked at 32:19.6. Beatty's selection comes as a result of his continued ability to compete to the highest level both on the course and in the classroom, tallying a 3.65 cumulative GPA.Â
"Marshall Beatty has collected a lot of athletic awards in his career and I am proud of him for all that he has accomplished but I am equally proud of how he has performed in the classroom," said head coach Mike Smith. "This award is a reflection of his commitment to do his best at everything he does. In a time of great uncertainty and trying circumstances, Marshall has not wavered in his pursuit of excellence. I am happy for him to see his hard work rewarded with this type of recognition."
Beatty's successes also secured him a spot on the Academic All-Patriot League Team alongside teammates Garrett Gough and Mika Andrews who were listed amongst the conferences best and brightest.
Gough finished eighth at the Patriot League Championships with a time of 22:09.5, earning him second-team All-League honors. The sophomore was a top competitor for the Black Knights in 2020 (21) continuously getting better with each appearance. Gough finished 17th against Syracuse with a time of 23:48, ninth at the tri meet with Syracuse and BC with a time of 25:31 and eighth in the Army-Navy Star Series dual meet with a time of 24:45. The Nevada City, Calif. native is a history major and currently holds a 3.40 cumulative GPA.Â
"Garrett has a tremendous work ethic which has propelled him to very competitive athletic performances," said Smith. "He has been a big part of our recent success and his discipline extends to everything that he does. He works hard at his studies and I am pleased to see him be recognized for his efforts in the classroom."
Andrews was one of three top 10 finishers for the women's team at the Patriot League Championships. The senior captain notched a ninth place finish with a time of 20:20, moving ahead of her 2019 finish of 12th , 2018 finish of 15th and 2017 finish of 22nd. Andrews has been a staple for the Black Knights in her four years, including being named a captain this season. She finished seventh in all three meets leading up to the Patriot League Championship, recording a time of 17:55 against Syracuse in the season opener, 18:12 in the tri meet against Syracuse and BC and 22:04 in the Army-Navy Star Series dual meet. Andrews is a history major and currently boasts a 3.80 GPA.
"I expect our captains to lead our team in all areas of our program," said Smith. "Their demonstrated excellence sets the standard for everyone else in the program. Mika has been one of our most consistent performers in cross country and on the track and has always been one of the top students in the class of 2021. I am not surprised at all that she is being recognized for her academic performance. She is a star."
Â
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
This Week in Army Football: Navy
Tuesday, December 09
Army at UTSA Game Highlights
Sunday, November 30
This Week in Army Football: UTSA
Tuesday, November 25
This Week in Army Football: Tulsa
Tuesday, November 18