Men
The first six individual finishers at the Missouri Valley Men's Cross Country championship highlight this year's Scholar-Athlete Team, announced by the league. A total of 10 student-athletes earned first-team selection.
Jason Lehmkuhle, who won the individual title, topped the list of 10 first-team Scholar-Athletes. Lehmkuhle paced Drake to the team championship and was joined on the Scholar-Athlete team by three of his teammates, Matt Gabrielson, Zac Schendel, and Troy Trygstad.

In addition, three other slots on the first team were filled by repeat performers. Matt McClelland of Southern Illinois finished fifth at the league meet, while Levente Timar of Northern Iowa placed ninth, and Matt Mosman of Creighton took 12th place. Northern Iowa's Balasz Csillag, Bradley's Aaron Hart, and Illinois State's Christian Goy rounded out the first team.

The Scholar-Athlete team is a unique Valley award in that it accounts for academic and athletic excellence. The criteria for the team voting parallels the GTE/CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for academic all-America voting. Those eligible must have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions, and they must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution. The top 10 finishers at the league championship who meet the criteria earn first-team honors.

Women
The top three individuals at the league championship highlight this year's women's cross country Scholar-Athlete Team, announced by the league office. A total of 12 student-athletes earned first-team selection.
In addition to two-time, individual champion Mary Ellen Hill of Bradley, runner-up Tracey Bearden of Drake and Stacia Beste of Illinois State, who was third at the championship, top the first-team honorees. Southern Illinois placed three student athletes on the first team: Erin Leahy, Joy Cutrano and Jenny Monaco, Bradley's Angie Zimmermann, and Drake's Sarah Murton also earned selection to the unit, Northern Iowa was represented by Kari Thilges and Sue Holtkamp while Marina Dreyer and Marie Claude Boucher of Wichita State made the team.

The Scholar-Athlete team is a unique Valley award in that it accounts for academic and athletic excellence. The criteria for the team voting parallels the GTE/CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for academic all-America voting. Those eligible must have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions, and they must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution. The top 12 finishers at the league championship who meet the criteria earn first-team honors.

The 1999 Valley championship was Oct. 30 as host Wichita State won the conference meet. On Saturday (Nov. 13), all league teams will compete in regional meets, which will determine NCAA qualifiers for the national meet, Nov. 22.