May 8, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Four North Carolina Tar Heels as well as NCAA Platform Diving Champion and Atlantic Coast Conference Diver of the Year Brittany Viola of Miami headline the 2008 All-ACC Academic Women's Swimming and Diving Team, as announced Thursday by Commissioner John D. Swofford. Joining Viola on the 40-member academic squad include four NCAA All-Americans in ACC Swimmer of the Year Jessica Botzum (Virginia Tech), Hannah Krimm (Georgia Tech), ACC Freshman of the Year Elizabeth Shaw (Virginia) and Sara Smith (Virginia Tech). Tar Heels on the team include Katura Harvey, Laura Filip, Erica Schiffler and Megan Steeves.

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during her academic career.

Each of the league's 11 schools that sponsor swimming and diving were represented on the team, as Clemson tied a league-high seven selections to lead all ACC schools. Florida State and Virginia Tech each received six picks, while Virginia collected five, North Carolina notched four and Georgia Tech had three.

With two nods apiece were Boston College, Duke, Maryland and Miami. NC State rounded out the academic squad with one representative.

This year's team boasts 21 All-ACC performers with 12 crowned ACC champions and 16 returning academic honorees. In addition, seven student-athletes earned NCAA All-America Honorable Mention and two were honored with the league's Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship (Florida State's Abbie King and Virginia Tech's Botzum).

Below is a complete list of recipients named to the 2008 All-ACC Academic Women's Swimming and Diving Team.

2008 All-ACC Academic Women's Swimming & Diving Team
(Alphabetical by last name)
Name, School Class Major Chelsea Ale, NC State So. Sport Management
Alexandra Allen, Clemson So. Nursing
*Abby Barney, Virginia Tech So. Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
*Britta Boesing, Miami Jr. Sport Administration
*Jessica Botzum, Virginia Tech Sr. Biology
*Julie Brummond, Duke So. Undeclared
*Caroline Byron, Boston College Jr. Human Development
Elizabeth Byrum, Virginia Tech Sr. Apparel, Housing and Resource Management
Mei Christensen, Virginia So. Undeclared
Patricia DeScenza, Maryland So. Education
*Stephanie England, Georgia Tech Sr. Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Laura Filip, North Carolina Grad. Journalism and Mass Comm./Comm. Studies
Ellen Freeman, Virginia Fr. Undeclared
Claire Galdun, Virginia Fr. Undeclared
*Stephanie Glover, Virginia Sr. Economics
Katura Harvey, North Carolina Fr. Undeclared
*Georgia Holderness, Florida State So. Child Development
Danielle Kazilionis, Clemson Sr. Marketing
*Abbie King, Florida State Sr. Child Development
Agatha Kwasnik,Georgia Tech So. Biomedical Engineering
*Hannah Krimm, Georgia Tech So. Science, Technology and Culture
*Cassandra Larussa, Clemson Jr. Marketing
Jorden McHorney, Virginia Tech Jr. Communication
Aleia Monden, Florida State Fr. Exercise Science
Megan Newell, Virginia Tech Jr. Psychology
Katrina Obas, Clemson So. Health Science
*Michelle Parkhurst, Clemson Jr. Sociology
*Rachel Regone, Clemson Jr. Health Science
Nina Rossi, Maryland So. Education
Elizabeth Savage, Clemson Fr. Engineering
Elizabeth Shaw, Virginia Fr. Undeclared
Erica Schiffler, North Carolina Jr. Biology
Kathryn Skaggs, Florida State Sr. Sport Management
Katie Sirounis, Florida State So. Business
*Sara Smith, Virginia Tech Jr. Biology
*Megan Steeves, North Carolina So. Undeclared
Ashley Twichell, Duke Fr. Undeclared
Lowri Tynan, Florida State Fr. Interior Design
Mari Wunschel, Boston College Sr. Marketing
*Brittany Viola, Miami So. Broadcasting
*Repeat All-ACC Academic honorees