Friday, July 17, 2009

NEW ORLEANS - Track and Field programs and student-athletes from three A-Sun institutions earned honors from U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their respective academic excellence.

Lipscomb's men and women ranked among the top 10 in NCAA Division I All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams. The women's teams from ETSU and Jacksonville also earned recognition as all posted cumulative grade-point averages of at least 3.00.

Ten individuals, nine women and one man made the respective All-Academic Track and Field teams. Lipscomb's Michael Knox, a Kinesiology major made the men's team while six from Jacksonville and three ETSU women earned selections to that squad.

Senior Natasha Harvey, the A-Sun's Student-Athlete of the Year and junior Hillary Crook, as well as sophomores Danielle Davenport, Louise Kiernan, Susanne Klungtveit and Unique Singleton each received the individual academic honors from the USTFCCCA to represent the Dolphins.

On the track, Harvey paced the group with nine NCAA regional qualifiers during the outdoor season. Harvey also earned All-America honors in the long jump at both NCAA Championships to round out her career.

Harvey, Davenport, Kiernan and Singleton combined to win all five of the Dolphins' 4x100-meter relay attempts during the outdoor season, including winning the conference title with a school record time of 44.82. At the NCAA regionals, they broke the school record in the event again with a time of 44.62 to place fifth and receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.

Crook won the shot put (44’6.25”) at the A-Sun Outdoor Championship, while Klungtveit won the 3,000-meter steeplechase conference title with a time of 10:36 to earn regional qualifying spots.

Three Lady Buccaneer track and field student-athletes were recognized for their hard work on the track and in the classroom, as Nae-Nae Bailey, Heidi Dahl and Judy Johnson earned spots on the All-Academic Track and Field team. Bailey achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.56 while obtaining her degree in radiology, while Dahl finished with a 3.59 GPA and Johnson’s GPA was 3.44.

The USTFCCCA also announced the men's and women’s 2009 Division I All-Academic Track and Field team. A record total of 329 student-athletes representing 108 Division I institutions made up the men’s 2009 All-Academic team while a record-setting 531 student-athletes representing 147 Division I institutions composed the women’s 2009 All-Academic team.

The USTFCCCA honors Division I individuals for their academic and athletic achievements during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or the NCAA Division I Outdoor regional or national qualifying standard in their respective event.

The selection of the All-Academic Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Teams of the Year award is based on a combination of academic and athletic achievements, with the top honor going to the team that had the combination of best overall finish at the respective Division I Indoor or Outdoor National Championships and cumulative GPA. To be nominated, the team must carry a minimum 3.000 cumulative grade-point average.