Cavaliers Place Seven on All-ACC Academic Track and Field Teams
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Seven Cavaliers were named to the 2008 All-ACC Academic Track and Field teams, announced Friday by the conference office. Senior All-American Billie-Jo Grant (Arroyo Grande, Calif.), sophomore Ayla Smith (Winchester, Va.) and senior Katie Tershel (Cannonsburg, Pa.) were named to the women’s squad, while sophomore Kyle Galle (Warwick, R.I.), sophomore Arthur Gennari (Housatonic, Mass.), sophomore Aaron Klansek (Bluffton, Ind.) and senior David Lewis (Centreville, Va.) were named to the men’s team.
Grant, a repeat honoree on the academic team, was an All-ACC performer this season and wrapped up the year at the U.S. Olympic Trials after garnering her third All-America honor in the discus. The senior placed eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after winning the 2008 NCAA East Regional Championship in the discus. She has earned all-conference honors in each of her three seasons of competition for the Cavaliers and holds Virginia’s all-time record in the discus with her throw of 56.06m.
Smith is making her second-consecutive appearance on the All-ACC Academic Team. The sophomore won the 400m hurdles title at the ECAC Championships and at the 49ers Classic this season. With her fifth-place finish in 58.79 at the ACC Championships, she qualified for the regional meet.
Tershel is a first-time honoree on the academic team. The senior qualified for the regional meet the past two seasons in the triple jump and graduated this spring with a degree in American studies. Her personal-best mark of 12.39m placed her fifth at the ACC Championships and eighth in Virginia’s all-time records.
Galle, a first-time selection to the academic squad, is the Cavaliers’ hammer thrower. Competing in the 49ers Classic, Galle threw a season-best mark of 46.15m. He currently sits sixth on the program’s all-time best marks list with a throw of 46.75m last season.
Gennari, another first-time honoree on the all-academic team, was the Cavaliers’ top high jumper this season. He finished fifth at the ACC Championship, clearing a height of 2.04m. That mark ranks eighth in Virginia’s all-time records.
Klansek is another high jumper for the Cavaliers who is making his first appearance on the academic team. He cleared a season-best height of 1.96m at the ACC Championships.
Lewis, the ACC Champion in the decathlon, is making his first appearance on the academic team. His personal-best score of 7105 points to win the conference title ranks him fourth in Virginia’s all-time records. He graduated this spring with a degree in history.
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 their academic career.
For a complete listing of the women’s team, click here
For a complete listing of the men’s team, click here