Jan. 25, 2008
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina had 25 student-athletes named to the 2007 Southern Conference Fall Academic All-Conference team released today by the conference office. A total of 261 student-athletes, representing all 11 Southern Conference institutions, were named to the team averaging a 3.56 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
League-wide, women's soccer placed a combined 65 student-athletes on the honorary squad, with football boasting 58. Western Carolina ranked fourth out of the 11 schools with 25 behind league-leader, Wofford, with 40 honorees, followed by Furman with 30 and The Citadel with 28.
Comparable to the conference trend, WCU had a sport-high 14 women's soccer players recognized, followed by five Catamount football players, three from the volleyball team and three combined from the cross country squads. The women's soccer program was recognized back in December with the seventh-best team GPA in the nation - a SoCon-leading 3.53 combined - and garnered a third-straight National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) team academic award.
To be eligible for the SoCon's Academic All-Conference, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average entering the fall season and must have competed in at least one-half of their team's competitions during the recently-concluded fall campaign.
Eighteen of Western's 25 honorees have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better. The 25 student-athletes represented is more than last fall when WCU had 21 honored as a part of last year when the Catamounts boasted a league-high 72 Academic All-Conference team selections combined across the three seasons (21 in the fall, 20 in the winter and 31 in the spring).
This is the sixth year that the Southern Conference has named an All-Academic Team by season.
Men's Cross Country:
Jake Clawson, So., Morganton, N.C., 3.54 - Social Sciences
Women's Cross Country:
Lindsay Groce, So., Wilkesboro, N.C., 3.90 - Music Education
Kerrie Savery, Sr., Palm Harbor, Fla., 3.30 - Biology
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Women's Soccer:
Katie Kole, So., Southlake, Tex., 3.93 - Biology
Shannon Fowkes, So., Smithsburg, Md., 3.85 - Accounting
Bailey Culp, Sr., Richmond, Va., 3.83 - International Business
Melissa Berry, Sr., Matthews, N.C., 3.82 - Sport Management
Arlan Whittle, Jr., Peachtree City, Ga., 3.82 - Finance
Jenny Matteson, So., Cinnaminson, N.J., 3.70 - Sport Management
Nikki Lombardo, So., St. Augustine, Fla., 3.68 - Athletic Training
Leah Daino, Sr., Statesville, N.C., 3.68 - Physical Education
Buki Baruwa, Jr., Cary, N.C., 3.63 - Criminal Justice
Rebekah Mumm, Sr., Asheville, N.C., 3.58 - Business Administration & Law
Bri Cunningham, So., Tryon, N.C., 3.54 - Communication
Shanna Schmoker, So., Lake Jackson, Tex., 3.48 - Communication
Lauren Atkinson, Sr., Marietta, Ga., 3.38 - Communication
Heather Dittmer, Sr., Marietta, Ga., 3.37 - Spanish
Volleyball:
Katie Hennessey, So., North Richland Hills, Tex., 3.78 - Communication
Liz Rondone, So., Bloomington Ill., 3.70 - Art
Meredith Harmon, Sr., Villa Hills, Ky., 3.67 - Physical Education
