Slippery Rock University distance runner Jennifer Cichra, a Butler high school graduate, was named the 2024 NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country “Elite 90 Award” winner Saturday at the National Championships in Sacramento, California. The NCAA “Elite 90 Award” is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average at each of the organization’s 90 National Championship finals sites.
Cichra becomes the first female student-athlete from any sport in Slippery Rock history to win an Elite 90 Award. The junior from Renfrew owns a perfect 4.0 GPA with 116 total credit hours while majoring in mechanical engineering.
In addition to her excellence in the classroom, Cichra also earned first team All-PSAC and All-Region honors this fall while helping The Rock to the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title and a second straight team trip to the National Championships.