(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – The LRHS boys cross country team finished first in their class in the state’s Academic Team Champions fall rankings.

The Mustangs also had two other teams among the top four: Football (third) and girls golf (fourth.)

In the overall team standings for fall sports, Lakewood Ranch tied for second in Class 7A with Fort Meyers with 39 points, behind only Melbourne Viera who has 46 points.

Boys cross country coach Bryan Thomas said the award is the result of a lot of hard work.

“I’m extremely proud of the boys for putting their academics first,” he said, “with athletics as an extension of the classroom.”

The Academic Team Champions program is run by the Florida High School Athletic Association, and calculates the team GPA for each school.