NEW ORLEANS—Graduate student Anthony Rodriguez (Prairie View, Ill.), senior Julian Ivarra (Plano, Texas) and the Babson College men's cross country team were honored for their hard work in the classroom when the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its annual academic awards late last week. 

Ivarra and Rodriguez were among 344 student-athletes to earn USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic recognition, which requires a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale while finishing in the top 25 percent of their respective regional championship meet. 

In addition to the individual awards, the Beavers were among 200 Division III programs to collect All-Academic team honors for the fifth consecutive season after wrapping up the fall semester with a cumulative team GPA of  3.36. Teams must have must have a cumulative GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers.

A four-time All-NEWMAC and NCAA All-East Region honoree, Rodriguez qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship for the third time in his career and placed 38th to become Babson's first All-American. He owns the Beavers' 8k school record (24:11) and boasts the nine fastest times in program history. 

Ivarra concluded his career by becoming just the second Babson harrier to qualify for the Division III Championship meet and finishing 155th in Terre Haute, Ind., back in November. A two-time All-East region and 2024 All-NEWMAC honoree, Ivarra recorded the four fastest times of his career this past fall. 

Under the direction of head coach Russ Brennen, Babson came in third at the NEWMAC Championship and sixth at the regional meet while recording the lowest point totals in program history at both races. Rodriguez and Ivarra also gave the Beavers two national qualifiers for the first time in school history.