June 6, 2012

IRVING, Texas - Twenty-four student-athletes have been named to the 2011-12 Conference USA Track and Field All-Academic Teams. Due to ties, there were 12 men and 12 women, instead of 11, voted onto the teams by the league's sports information directors for the sport. Honorees must hold a minimum 3.2 grade point average and have used a year of eligibility. All 24 honorees boast academic marks better than 3.40 and all 12 women sport a 3.7 or better GPAs. Five finished the academic year with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Rice leads the list with four award winners on the men's side and three on the women's list. There are also seven 2012 Capital One Academic All-District ® Track/Cross Country honorees on the teams.

2012 Track & Field All-Academic Teams

2012 C-USA MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM:
Senior DENNIS ALIOTTA of East Carolina collects the Pirates first C-USA all-academic honor. He sports a 3.417 GPA in sports studies, is a member of ECU's Honor Roll (Fall 2011) and earned USTFCCCA Academic All-America status during the 2010-11 year. At the 2012 C-USA Outdoor Championships, Aliotta was awarded the Performance of the Meet after he recorded a league championship record and gold medal performance in the shot put with a toss of 19.39 meters (63-7.5). Overall, he won six gold medals in the hammer throw and shot put during the 2012 indoor and outdoor seasons.

Houston's JOHN FORTUNE is a repeat selection to the C-USA All-Academic team as he appeared on the 2011 list. The junior has a 3.73 GPA in chemistry and is a two-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. Fortune was also named to the USTFCCCA Track & Field All-Academic Team. In the field, he finished third in the shot put (57-2) at the 2012 Conference USA Indoor Championships.

Senior GABRIEL CUADRA of Rice has had a successful career for the Owls. He picks up his second all-academic track merit (2010) and is a three-time cross country all-academic honoree (2010-12). Cuadra owns a 3.74 GPA in mathematical economic analysis that has earned him four President's Honor Roll appearances. The 2010-11 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award winner, earned All-C-USA third team outdoor honors with a bronze medal performance in the 10,000m (30:55.89) as well as placing 10th in the 5,000m (14:43.87).

Senior DANIEL SLOAT of Rice picks up his third C-USA All-Academic honor after producing a 4.11 GPA in civil and environmental engineering. Sloat, a 2012 Capital One Academic All-District VII first teamer, was also named to the CoSIDA's Academic All-America third team in 2011 and earned CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades last year. He capped off his academic career being named to seven President's Honor Rolls, four C-USA Commissioner's Honor Rolls and the Commissioner's Academic Medal list. On the track, he placed fourth in the 800m during the conference indoor championships and finished 10th in the prelims of the same event during the outdoor meet.

Repeating his C-USA All-Academic honor from a year ago is ALEXANDER ZINCHENKO of Rice. The senior owns a 3.61 GPA in political science and has appeared on three Commissioner's Honor Roll and the 2011 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and President's Honor Roll. Zinchenko earned All-C-USA third team outdoor honors with a bronze medal performance in the shot put (17.03m/55-10.5). He also placed sixth in the discus (48.98m/160-8) and fourth in the shot (17.28m/56-8.5) at the indoor C-USA meet.

Identical twins and accounting majors RICHARD and ROBERT COLLINGWOOD of Southern Miss each make their second appearance on the C-USA All-Academic Team. Richard Collingwood sports a 3.92 GPA, while Robert owns a 3.68 GPA. Both have appeared on the Commissioner's Honor Roll twice and members of the College of Beta Business Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Richard recorded a season-best throw of 52-8" in the shot put and registered a personal-best and school-record mark of 172-2" in the discus during the indoor season. He also placed fifth at the C-USA Outdoor Championship in the shot put. Robert earned All-C-USA second team honors in the shot put at the conference meet when he recorded a personal-best and school-record throw of 59-2". He also repeated the honor during the outdoor championships as he produced a season-best throw of 56-11.5" in the same event.

Tulane's MICHAEL MAINGUY is a four-time C-USA Academic Medal Award winner and Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient as well as a three time C-USA All-Academic Team selection. The senior ended his career with a 3.89 GPA in neuroscience and was Tulane Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice. On the track, he ran a career-best time of 9:14.46 in the 3000m.

Tulsa has two student-athletes on the All-Academic Team, seniors BILL MARTIN and CARL STONES. Martin is a biochemistry major that owns a 3.94 GPA, while Stones sports a 3.80 GPA in exercise and sports science. Martin most recently earned Capital One Academic All-District VII first team honors that qualifies him for the national Academic All-America ballot. He is a two-time C-USA All-Academic track honoree, while Stones is a three peat performer. Martin has also appeared on seven Tulsa's Dean's Lists and is a four-time C-USA All-Academic Medal winner. The middle-distance specialist assisted Tulsa to its first C-USA Indoor Track and Field Championship title as he was a member of the winning distance medley relay team that earned him All-C-USA first team merits in 2012. He also finished fourth in the 1,500m at this year's C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Stones is a seven-time member of Tulsa's Dean List and has been named to the C-USA All-Academic Team three times. He enters this week's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with the eighth fastest time in the nation in the 3,000m Steeplechase (8:43.79). Stones won the Conference USA title in the steeplechase, while also finishing second in the 5,000m. During the indoor championships, he was one of five runners that bettered the meet record in the 3,000m as he finished fourth in a time of 8:14.62. Stones medal in the 5,000m as he crossed in a time of 14:23.42 for bronze.

With a 4.0 GPA in multidisciplinary studies, UTEP's RICHARD OLSSON is making his first appearance on the C-USA All-Academic Team. The sophomore was named to the 2011 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and was an Academic Medal recipient. He ranks 20th in the nation and leads Conference USA in the men's javelin with a personal-best throw of 71.58m (234-10) posted at the UTEP Springtime Meet. Olsson took bronze in the event at the 2012 C-USA Outdoor Championships with a toss of 66.10m (216-10), earning him All-C-USA third team honors.

2012 C-USA WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM:
Sophomore KATHRYN WARNER leads East Carolina with a 3.806 GPA in marketing. She is making her first C-USA All-Academic Team appearance after having appeared on two Commissioner's Honor Rolls and one ECU Chancellor's List. Warner took second place in the pole vault at the 2012 C-USA Outdoor Championships after capturing the bronze at the league indoor meet, when the Pirates won their first Conference USA team title (indoor or outdoor). She currently holds the second-highest marks in program history for the indoor (3.76m) and outdoor (3.80m) pole vault events.

Junior MEGAN FRAUSTO picks up her first C-USA All-Academic merit after carrying a 3.91 GPA in kinesiology. She plans to attend medical school following the completion of her athletic career. She was named a 2012 USTFCCCA All-America second team honoree in the pentathlon after finishing 12th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Frausto also won the gold medal in the pentathlon at the C-USA indoor meet and took silver in the heptathlon at the outdoor championships meet.

Memphis' CYARRA WELLS owns a 3.70 GPA in accounting and is the league's indoor champions in the women's weight throw. Her gold medal toss of 19.33m (63-5) also earned her All-C-USA first team merits. The sophomore finished the indoor season ranked 37th in the NCAA and first in C-USA with her personal-best weight throw mark of 19.39m (63-7.5). Wells was named to the 2012 Commissioner's Honor Roll and was voted C-USA Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week once (Feb. 21, 2012).

Seniors SOPHIA PEETERS, ALLISON PYE and BECKY WADE are Rice's three honorees on the 2012 C-USA All-Academic Team and Capital One Academic All-America national ballot.

Peeters owns an impressive 4.071 GPA in psychology and kinesiology and is scheduled to attend medical school. This is her second C-USA All-Academic Team honor (2009), but she has been the recipient of four Commissioner's Honor Rolls and C-USA Academic Medal Awards. Peeters was also named Margie Sass Student Athlete of the Year and Rice's Scholar Athlete of the Year twice. On the track, she placed eighth in the 800m (2:13.72) at the C-USA Indoor Championships and recorded the team's top 800m outdoor time of 2:12.23 at Stanford's Cardinal Invitational.

An owner of a 3.97 GPA in kinesiology, Pye sports numerous academic accolades including seven President's Honor Roll appearances and four C-USA All Academic Team honors, Commissioner's Honor Rolls and USTFCCCA All Academic Team merits. She also has three C-USA Academic Medal Awards and two C-USA and Rice Scholar Athlete of the Year honors. The 2010 CoSIDA Academic All District selection placed third in the 5000m with a school-record time of 16:18.24 and clocked a time of 9:38.33 in the 3000m for fourth place at C-USA Indoor Championships. At the conference outdoor meet, she placed second in the 5000m crossing in 16:32.84 and fifth in the 10,000m with a time of 36:09.67.

Wade caps off a stellar athletic and academic career by being a candidate for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She's headed to medical school and has a GPA of 4.02 in sociology, psychology and history. A few of her top academic honors include being named to seven President's Honor Rolls, four Commissioner's Honor Rolls and USTFCCCA All Academic Teams. She has also been selected as the recipient of the Watson Fellowship Award and Joyce Pounds Hardy Award winner as the top female athlete at Rice. This marks her fourth C-USA All-Academic Team honor. Wade is set to compete in the women's 10,000m at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday. She qualified for nationals after running a time of 34:19.76 at the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas. The distance specialist was a double-champion at the 2012 C-USA Outdoor Championships, winning the 10,000m (34:54.57) and 5000m (16:27.57). Indoor success came in the form of being named to the USTFCCCA All-America second-seam in the 5000m where she finished 13th (16:33.35) at the NCAA Championships. At the C-USA Indoor Meet, she won the mile (4:48.32) and placed second in the 3000m (9:32.95).

With a 3.89 GPA in accounting, senior AYLA GILL appears on her first C-USA All-Academic Team. She is a three-time honoree of the Commissioner's Honor Roll and an Academic Medal Award recipient. Gill was also a member of Capital One Academic All-District Team in 2011 and the USTFCCCA All-Academic team in 2010. She was the runner-up in the women's hammer at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships with a toss of 53.50m (175-06). However, Gill ended the year ranked second in the league with a hammer throw of 55.20m (181-1) at the Mt. SAC Relays. During the indoor season, she finished third in the weight throw at the C-USA Championships with a toss of 18.03m (59-2).

  Repeating her 2011 C-USA All-Academic honor is Southern Miss' STEPHANIE LEDGERWOOD. She has appeared on three Commissioner's Honor Rolls and has been a C-USA Academic Medal Award winner three times. The forensic science major sports a 3.93 GPA and owns four President's List merits and two Dean's List honors. The junior clocked a personal- and school-record time of 17:16.37 in the 5,000m for eighth placed at the C-USA Indoor Championships. At the outdoor meet, she also clocked a personal- and school-record time of 35:47.52 in the 10,000m, earning her fourth-place honors.

Southern Miss' second all-academic honoree is junior PETRA VISIC. Visic is a bio-chemistry major and has maintained a 3.96 GPA while competing in field events for the Golden Eagles. Just like Ledgerwood, she appeared on three Commissioner's Honor Rolls and has been a C-USA Academic Medal Award winner three times. Visic placed fifth in the hammer with a toss of 48.16m (158-0) at the C-USA Outdoor Championships and ended the season with the league's fifth-best toss of 51.17m (167-10) in the event.

Appearing on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America national ballot is UAB senior KRISTINA VAUGHN. Vaughn earned Capital One Academic All-District IV first team honors and picks up her third C-USA All-Academic Team accolade. She is also a four-time winner of the C-USA Academic Medal Award after sporting a flawless 4.0 GPA in biology. Vaughn won the 3,000m steeplechase (10:35.81) at the C-USA Outdoor Championships to earn C-USA first-team honors. She also anchored the DMR team that placed second and clocked a school record time of 11:37.00 at the indoor meet.

UTEP wraps up the 2012 Conference USA Women's Track and Field All-Academic Team with two honorees. Sophomore JANICE JACKSON and senior MARINE MENEZ are awarded their first academic team accolade after earning a 3.8 GPA in multidisciplinary studies. Both have appeared on the Commissioner's Honor Roll and been a C-USA Academic Medal Award winner.

Jackson will be competing at the NCAA Championships in the 100m hurdles this week. She posted the 25th fastest time in the nation and the third best in C-USA in the 100m hurdles at the C-USA Championships with a personal-best of 13.27. Jackson also took silver at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.36.

Menez took bronze at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon with 3,756 points and finished fourth at the C-USA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon with a total of 5,074 points. She assisted the 4x100m relay team to a fourth-place finish at the Drake Relays with a time of 45.57.

Conference USA has 21 females and 11 males at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that begin Wednesday, June 6. The four-day event will be hosted by Drake inside the Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, June 6-9. Daily results can be accessed at http://www.flashresults.com and fans can view live action on ESPN3.com and ESPNU.

2011-12 CONFERENCE USA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Cl. GPA Major Hometown
Dennis Aliotta East Carolina Sr. 3.417 Sports Studies Staten Island, N.Y.
John Fortune * Houston Jr. 3.73 Chemistry Cleveland, Texas
Gabriel Cuadra * Rice Sr. 3.74 Mathematical Economic Analysis Friendswood, Texas
Jordan Hmaidan Rice Sr. 3.65 Economics Houston, Texas
Daniel Sloat ** Rice Sr. 4.11 Civil and Environmental Engineering Sammamish, Wash.
Alexander Zinchenko * Rice Sr. 3.61 Political Science Lisbon, Portugal
Richard Collingwood * Southern Miss Jr. 3.92 Accounting Port of Spain, Trinidad
Robert Collingwood * Southern Miss Jr. 3.68 Accounting Port of Spain, Trinidad
Michael Mainguy ** Tulane Sr. 3.89 Neuroscience Brookline, Mass.
Bill Martin * Tulsa Sr. 3.94 Biochemistry Overland Park, Kan.
Carl Stones ** Tulsa Sr. 3.80 Exercise and Sports Science Round Rock, Texas
Richard Olsson UTEP So. 4.00 Multidisciplinary Studies Karlstad, Sweden

2011-12 CONFERENCE USA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Cl. GPA Major Hometown
Kathryn Warner East Carolina So. 3.806 Marketing Batavia, Ill.
Megan Frausto Houston Jr. 3.91 Kinesiology Royse City, Texas
Cyarra Wells Memphis So. 3.70 Accounting Louisville, Ky.
Sophie Peeters * Rice Sr. 4.071 Psychology, Kinesiology, Houston, Texas
Biochemistry and Cell Biology Allison Pye *** Rice Sr. 3.97 Kinesiology Houston, Texas
Becky Wade * Rice Sr. 4.02 Sociology, Psychology, History Dallas, Texas
Ayla Gill SMU Sr. 3.893 Accounting Auckland, New Zealand
Stephanie Ledgerwood* Southern Miss Jr. 3.93 Forensic Science Yuma, Ariz.
Petra Visic Southern Miss Jr. 3.96 Bio-Chemistry Split, Croatia
Kristina Vaughn ** UAB Sr 4.00 Biology Madison, Ala.
Janice Jackson UTEP So. 3.88 Multidisciplinary Studies St. Catherine, Jamaica
Marine Menez UTEP Sr. 3.87 Multidisciplinary Studies Lesquin, France

* denotes repeat selections

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