June 6, 2002

VILLANOVA, PA. --- The Verizon Academic All-America® Softball Teams were announced today in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and for the second conesecutive year Villanova junior Sara Carlson (Langley, B.C.) received First Team honors. Carlson, a civil engineering major, boasts a 3.70 grade point average, in addition to her outstanding athletic accomplishments.

Carlson started all 60 games this season and led the Wildcats with a .383 average overall and a .455 average in Big East games only. She currently holds the Villanova career home run record (19) after hitting three homers this season to go along with 16 doubles and two triples for a .544 slugging percentage. Defensively, as Villanova's second baseman, she posted the second best fielding percentage ever by a Wildcat infielder (.986). Carlson currently ranks in the top-five among Villanova's career leaders in three categories: doubles (37, 2nd), RBI (112, 4th) and runs scored (89, 5th).

Postseason awards continue to amount for Carlson. Academically, in addition to the Verizon Academic All-America® honors, she was named the Villanova Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the annual Athletics Senior Recognition Dinner. In addition she is a member of two national honor societies, Tau Beta Pi (engineering) and Chi Epsilon (civil engineering).

For her athletic performance in 2002, Carlson was named to the Northeast All-Region Team, First Team All-Big East and Big East Preseason Player of the Year.

Carlson graduated from Villanova on Sunday, May 19, 2002, and received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering with cum laude distinction. Carlson is currently enrolled in Villanova's civil engineering graduate program and will return to the Wildcat lineup next season in 2003. She has another year of eligibility due to her transfer from the University of British Columbia to Villanova after her freshman year.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Verizon Academic All-America program, which was founded by CoSIDA in 1952 to recognize collegiate student-athletes for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the playing field. Over the past 50 years, the Verizon Academic All-America program has grown into one of the most recognized and prestigious collegiate scholar-athlete awards nationwide, honoring student-athletes from all NCAA championship sports.

For more information on Villanova softball please contact Media Relations Assistant, Kevin Fischer, at 610.519.6460 or via email at kevin.fischer@villanova.edu.

2002 Verizon Academic All-America ® University Division Softball Team
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN ® OF THE YEAR: JARRAH MYERS, Notre Dame

First Team
Pos. Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown GPA Major(s)
P CINDY BALL Pacific VIII Sr. Camarillo, Calif. 3.39 Sports medicine
P ASHLEE DOBBE Virginia Tech III Sr. N. Vancouver, B.C. 3.85 Human nutrition, foods & exercise
C JARRAH MYERS Notre Dame V Sr. Carbondale, Kan. 3.68 Environmental science
IF SARAH BEESON Stanford VIII Sr. Tucson, Ariz. 3.70 Human biology
IF SARA CARLSON Villanova II Jr. Langley, B.C. 3.70 Civil engineering
IF LINDSAY FOSSATTI Fresno State VIII Sr. Tustin, Calif. 3.91 Kinesiology/exercise science
IF KATIE HARRIGAN Stetson III Sr. Indian Harbor, Fla. 3.98 English
IF KATIE SHEA Ball State V Jr. Royal Oak, Mich. 3.75 Exercise science
OF ANNIE JOHNSTON Northwestern State VI Sr. Tucson, Ariz. 3.72 Biology
OF TERI ROONEY Massachusetts I Sr. Visalia, Calif. 3.52 Sports management
OF LAUREN TITUS Bucknell II Sr. Hatboro, Pa. 3.95 Biology
DP KRISTALYN SMITH Western Kentucky IV Jr. Portage, Mich. 3.71 Public health

Second Team
Pos. Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown GPA Major(s)
P BETH ALEXANDER Tenn.-Chattanooga IV Sr. East Ridge, Tenn. 3.60 English education
P JENNIFER HADLEY Massachusetts I Sr. Bristol, Conn. 3.46 Sociology, elementary ed.
C TERESA ANDREANI Saint Joseph's II Sr. Matawan, N.J. 3.79 Chemistry
IF KARA BRUN Arizona State VIII Jr. Glendale, Ariz. 3.42 Communications
IF LEIGH ANN HLYWAK Maine I Sr. Wilmington, Del. 3.76 Elementary education
IF TIFFANY WOOLLEY Arkansas VI Sr. Tulsa, Okla. 4.00 Accounting
OF BETH FOGLE Kentucky IV Sr. Bogart, Ga. 3.62 Marketing
OF KIM OGEE Nebraska VII Jr. Omaha, Neb. 3.57 Family and consumer science
OF JEN SKUTA Central Michigan IV Sr. Pinconning, Mich. 3.71 Psychology, criminal justice
DP COREY HARRIS Illinois State V Jr. Dickinson, Texas 3.91 Chemistry

Third Team
Pos. Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown GPA Major(s)
P BRANDIE ADAMS Saint Joseph's II Jr. Newtown, Pa. 3.96 Elementary education
P LINDSAY CHOUINARD DePaul V Jr. Fresno, Calif. 3.32 Accounting & business
C STACY ROTH Ohio State IV Sr. Wauseon, Ohio 3.41 Human ecology/development
IF LEA DORTO Kent State IV Jr. North Canton, Ohio 4.00 Computer information systems
IF KRISTIN JOHNSON Iowa VII Jr. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 3.71 Communication studies, art
IF LEEANNE MONGAR Tennessee Tech IV Jr. Chattanooga, Tenn. 3.67 Health/physical education
IF BRANDI STUART Florida State III Jr. Cerritos, Calif. 3.22 Communications
IF BETH YAGGE Saint Louis VII Jr. Millstadt, Ill. 3.94 Physical therapy
OF ELISE BURCH Eastern Kentucky IV Jr. Scappoose, Ore. 3.65 Pre-med, biology
OF KRISTEN COLLINS Syracuse I Sr. Stow, Mass. 3.51 Electrical engineering
OF SARAH MARTZ DePaul V So. Lanark, Ill. 3.71 Secondary ed., mathematics
DP JULIE DUNN Syracuse I Jr. Springfield, Ill. 3.48 Magazine
Note: Ties in voting resulted in five infielders on the first and third teams. Since there were five infielders on the first team, only
three were named to the second team.