Nov. 1, 2011

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri State junior Emily Beaver and sophomore Erin Edwards were named to the 2011 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Team, the league announced Tuesday. The pair was honored by the MVC for their academic and athletic performances, following the completion of the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind. at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country course.

Scholar-Athlete honors require athletes to meet performance standards, as they must finish among the first 20 runners at the conference championship and hold at least a cumulative 3.2 GPA and be a sophomore in athletic and academic standing to earn a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.

Fourteen student-athletes were named to the women's team, as Beaver and Jamie Pfister of Southern Illinois hold perfect 4.00 GPAs. It is the second year in-a-row that Beaver has garnered Scholar-Athlete honors.

Next, the Bears will travel to Dekalb, Ill., for the 2011 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships (6K) on Nov. 14. Last season, Missouri State finished 14th in the field of 27. Both senior Terry Phillips and Beaver logged times that are ranked among the top-10 all-time in Missouri State history.