Four Cavaliers named to ACC academic team

Story Links

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Emil Heineking, Andrew Jesien and Taylor Smith were named to the 2007 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Men’s Cross Country Team, while Stephanie Garcia was named to the women’s team, as announced Friday by the conference office.

Heineking highlights the list as an All-ACC performer. In his rookie season, the Chardon, Ohio, native helped Virginia to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, en route to being named an All-American by the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association. He was also named the 2007 ACC Freshman of the Year, and finished fourth at the ACC meet to pace the Cavaliers to their second team title in three years.

Jesien, a junior from Bethesda, Md., is a repeat from last year’s academic team. The mathematics major recorded his top finish of the season at the Roy Griak Invitational, where he finished 32nd in a time of 25:21.

Smith, a senior from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., had his best finish at the ACC Championships, finishing 17th in a time of 24:37. This is his second academic honor, as he made the team last year, and is currently enrolled in the educational psychology graduate program.

On the women’s side, Garcia, the US Junior steeplechase champion, earned all-region honors this fall after finishing 25th at the NCAA Southeast Regional in a time of 21:22.5. This is the first academic honor for the sophomore.

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.