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 Western Carolina ranked second in the SoCon with 12 student-athletes named to the TIAA-CREF Winter Academic All-conference team, 10 from the Track & Field teams. |
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March 17, 2005
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina landed 12 student-athletes on the TIAA-CREF Winter Academic All-Southern Conference team, announced today by the Southern Conference office. The winter all-academic team includes sports where the majority of their season falls during the winter months, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, and wrestling.
Western's 12 members, led by seven from the women's track & field team, ranked second in the SoCon. Paced by the SoCon's women's indoor field performer of the year, Laura Tieszen, four of the women's track honorees were seniors. Tieszen was joined by classmates Leslie Martin, who was All-SoCon in the women's 800-meter run, Tonya Edmonds, and Anne Bernotski.
The men's track & field team had three individuals make the SoCon's list. Seniors Jason Stepp, all-conference in the men's weight throw, and David McCall were joined by sophomore Matt Harlfinger on the all-conference team.
The Lady Catamount basketball team had a pair named to the academic honorary team. First team All-SoCon and the tournament MVP, senior Jennifer Gardner, and sophomore Erin May were each tabbed by the conference for outstanding performance in the classroom. The duo will join their teammates this Sunday in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship as Western Carolina visits Tennessee (ESPN2, approx. 9:30 pm)
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or above in class standing, have at least a 3.2-cummulative grade point average, and have competed in at least one-half of their team's competitions during the winter.
Overall, the Southern Conference had 93 total student-athletes named to the winter team, with a cumulative GPA of 3.52 across the board.
This is the third year that the SoCon has named an All-Academic Team by season. The All-Academic teams are made possible by a grant from the Southern Conference's Education Partner, TIAA-CREF.
Women's Basketball
Erin May
Jennifer Gardner
Men's Indoor Track & Field
Matt Harflinger
Women's Indoor Track & Field
