The Missouri State cross country squad placed two members on the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Team, released Wednesday by the conference office. Senior Carrie Vestal and junior Kristin Wolkey were tabbed for the honor based on their work both on the course and in the classroom.

Vestal, an entrepreneurship major, holds a 3.94 grade-point average and posted a perfect 4.00 mark in the spring semester. This fall, the Springfield Parkview product was the Bears’ top finisher in each of their four pre-championship races before finishing fourth overall at the MVC meet last Saturday (Oct. 27) to capture all-conference honors. She won individual titles at the Washington University Early Bird (Sept. 1) and Missouri State Classic (Sept. 22) to lead the Bears to team titles at their first three meets of the season.

Wolkey earned her second straight Scholar-Athlete honor in cross country on the strength of her 20th-place finish at the MVC Championship. The Overland Park, Kan., native was MSU’s third or fourth finisher at each of its three 5K meets in 2007, posting a season-best run of 18:27 at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree (Sept. 29). A two-time All-MVC performer in cross country, Wolkey has a 3.36 grade-point average in accounting.

Fresh off their second-place showing at the MVC Championship, Missouri State will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 10, at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in Peoria, Ill.