AUGUSTA, Ga. − Three Flagler College women's cross country runners earned Academic All-Peach Belt Conference Team honors, released by conference officials. Those earning this honor for performance in the classroom and on the course are: seniors Laura McKnight (Jupiter, Fla., Jupiter HS) and Madeleine Pinaire (New Port Richey, Fla., J.W. Mitchell HS) and junior KayKay Shaffer (Jacksonville, Fla., Duncan U. Fletcher HS).

To be eligible for the All-Academic team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team's events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors oversee and select the teams.

McKnight is a three-time Academic All-Conference selection. She has competed in all five events this season and posted a personal-best time in the 5K of 20:23.80 at the Disney Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. McKnight has a 3.96 cumulative grade point average and is a history/pre-law major at Flagler.

Pinaire joins McKnight on the three-time Academic All-Conference list. She has also competed in all five events this fall and recorded a season-best time in the 5K of 23:08.43 at the Mountain Dew Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. Pinaire holds a 3.97 GPA at Flagler and is an art education major.

Shaffer earned honorable mention honors this year. She has participated in four-of-the-five events this year, but posted a season-best time of 26:24.84 in the 6K Peach Belt Conference Championship on Oct. 22. Her time of 22:11.00 was her season-best in a 5K which came at the Disney Classic. Shaffer has a 3.38 GPA at Flagler and is an education major.

McKnight, Pinaire and Shaffer are in their final preparations for this Saturday's (Nov. 5) NCAA Division II Southeast Regional held at Charlotte, N.C.