NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Carolina Aiken women's cross country team has earned 2012 All-Academic status from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

USC Aiken is one of 127 institutions representing 23 conferences to compose the list. USC Aiken is one of just six Peach Belt Conference women's cross country teams to garner the prestigious honor.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, a team must have had a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better and have compiled a team score at their respective NCAA regional championship. 

USC Aiken closed out its 2012 fall campaign with a 3.353 team grade point average. 

In addition to the Pacers claiming the team award, USC Aiken's Keely Gillespie was chosen to the 2012 All-Academic Women's Cross Country Team. 

Gillespie was one of 345 student-athletes from 126 institutions on the list.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or greater through the most recent fall semester. They must also have completed at least 12 credit hours in the semester of cross country competition as well as placed in the top-50 percent at the most recent NCAA national championships or top-30 at the NCAA regional championships. 

Gillespie (Belvedere, S.C./North Augusta) closed out the fall semester of 2012 with a 3.446 GPA. She is a junior Nursing major. 

The USC Aiken cross country team closed out its 2012 campaign having finished in the top-10 in three out of its five meets.

The best finish of the year for USC Aiken came by USC Aiken winning the 5K Francis Marion Invitational on Sept. 14 at the Freedom Florence Recreational Complex.

The team victory was the first for the Pacers since claiming the team title at the Siemens Technologies/USCB Invitational in 2007. USC Aiken now has four team meet victories in program history.

Gillespie picked up her first career individual meet win in the Francis Marion Invitational.

Gillespie would go on to set USC Aiken's new 6K mark by claiming a time of 23:24.2 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championship at McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte. For her efforts, Gillespie was tabbed to the All-Southeast Region Team for the first time in her prolific career.