LAWRENCE, Kan. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released the listing of the 2013 Women's Cross Country Daktronics Scholar-Athletes today with two members of the Blue and Gold named as honorees.

Senior Ellie Staker and junior Aleiyah Ross earned the honors. In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status to qualify for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

This is the second-straight honor for Staker and the first for Ross, making them the 11th and 12th women's cross country runners in program history to earn scholar-athlete distinction.

Staker, the 2013 Sun Conference Runner of the Year was also named to the All-Sun Conference first team following her first-place finish at The Sun Conference Championships on Nov. 9. Ross was also named to the All-Sun Conference first team after finishing in seventh at the conference meet.

Staker, a senior from Seattle, Wash., carries a 3.72 GPA in Embry-Riddle's Engineering Physics program. Ross, a junior from Hummelstown, Penn., carries a 3.67 GPA in Embry-Riddle's Business Administration program.

Staker and Ross are preparing to represent the Eagles at the NAIA National Championships in Lawrence, Kan. on Saturday as individuals.

To view the entire list of Scholar-Athletes, CLICK HERE.