It was an extra special weekend for Pittsburg State University redshirt junior Marissa Dick. On top of competing in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, doing so in her home state just 129 miles south of her hometown of Peculiar, Missouri, and doing so just 29 miles from the Pittsburg State campus at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, the Raymore-Peculiar High School alum also earned a prestigious academic and athletic honor.
Marissa Dick was named the NCAA Elite 90 award winner for the women's 2023 NCAA Division II cross country season. The NCAA names one winner per division, gender, and sport, annually. The NCAA Elite 90 program "recognizes the
true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has
reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level
in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard
among his or her peers." The award goes to the athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who qualifies and participates at the highest or final level of competition, and is given at each of the 90 NCAA championships that are held among the three divisions annually.
The former Ray-Pec All-Stater is studying communication and has a 4.00 GPA. She edged out more than 260 women for the award.
Before receiving the glass trophy, Dick and her teammates toed the line at the Rutledge Cross Country Course on the campus of MSSU. The Gorillas raced to an 18th place finish at nationals, at 10:00 a.m. Saturday. Pitt State moved up from 21st place with 545 points at the 5-kilometer mark, to 18th, shedding 58 points over the final kilometer of the 6k race that featured 34 teams.
Dick covered the 6.2 mile race in 21:49 to place 4th on her team and 121st overall in a race of 264. She moved up 11 places in the final 1,000 meters to help Pitt State edge the University of Mary for 18th by 23 points.
