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June 10, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four University of Virginia student-athletes have garnered 2003-2004 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State honors. Luke Wagner (Englewood, Colo./Regis Jesuit) from the men’s swimming and diving team has been named to the first team. Whitney Ashcraft (Yorktown, Ind./Burris) from the volleyball team and Jennifer Reck (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Grosse Pointe North) from the rowing team have been selected to the second team. Doug Stewart (Malibu, Calif./Malibu) from the men’s tennis team has been named to the third team. Sports Information representatives from schools in Virginia select the VaSID All-State team.
Wagner, who graduated in May with a degree in political and social thought, is one of 12 student-athletes from the state to be selected to the VaSID Academic All-State first team. He also recently earned CoSIDA Academic All-District III second team honors. Wagner was a Rhodes Scholar finalist for the state of Colorado and was the recipient of UVa’s Gus Tebell Award as the senior male student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average through his four years. Wagner is a 2004 first-team All-American in the 200-meter backstroke with a seventh-place performance at NCAAs. He was also an honorable mention All-American in the 400-meter medley relay (ninth place). Wagner is a UVa men’s swimming and diving program record 15-time All-American, including three first-team selections. He is a 14-time ACC champion, including four conference titles in 2004. At the 2004 ACC’s, the team captain won the 100-yard backstroke and was a member of three Cavalier relays that finished first.
Ashcraft and Reck are two of 11 VaSID Academic All-State second-team selections. Ashcraft, who is a two-time VaSID All-State Volleyball selection (2002 and 2003), graduated in May from the McIntire School of Commerce. Ashcraft, a libero, earned 2003 American Volleyball Coaches Association honorable mention All-America accolades, becoming the first All-American (along with teammate Paige Davis) in the 25-year history of the Virginia volleyball program. Ashcraft also captured first-team All-East Region honors in 2003. The two-time first-team All-ACC selection (2002 and 2003) finished her career second all-time at UVa with 1,603 digs (seventh among all ACC players). The three-time team captain set the school record with 42 digs in a match twice in 2003 and finished the season with 627 digs (5.10 per game – seventh in the NCAA).
Reck graduated in May from the McIntire School of Commerce. She was the recipient of Virginia’s Jettie Hill Memorial Award as the senior female athlete at Virginia with the highest cumulative grade point average through her four years. Reck was a member of Virginia’s first varsity eight crew for four years and was a three-time first-team All-America selection by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA). Reck was also a three-time All-South selection by the CRCA and a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick. She participated in four NCAA Rowing Championships as a member of UVa’s first varsity eight crew (5th in 2003, 9th in 2004, 10th in 2002 and 15th in 2001) and helped Virginia tie for sixth place as a team in 2004. At the 2004 ACC Championships, Reck’s first varsity eight crew finished first in that event and were named the Conference Crew of the Year for the third consecutive year as Virginia won its fifth consecutive conference championship.
Stewart, a rising junior, has been named to the 11-member VaSID Academic All-State third team. Stewart finished his sophomore season as the 13th-ranked singles player. The two-time All-ACC performer compiled a 24-9 singles record in 2004 and advanced to the second round of the 2004 NCAA singles championship. He helped Virginia win its first ACC title in 2004 en route to an overall record of 24-4. The 24 wins are a program record. UVa advanced to the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Stewart was named a 2004 ITA All-American as well as the 2003 ITA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year.