Three Cavaliers Earn Academic All-District Accolades

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Three Virginia student-athletes have earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors, as announced recently by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Mike Timms (lacrosse) and Pat Mellors (swimming) were named to the men’s at-large first team and Peter Ferrara (wrestling) was named to the second team. As first-team honorees, Timms and Mellors are now in the running for Academic All-America recognition, which will be announced next month.

Timms, a Virginia Beach, Va., native, helped the Virginia men’s lacrosse team to its second consecutive NCAA semifinal appearance. As one of the nation’s top longstick midfielders, Timms career-high 60 ground balls and one goal during the 2009 campaign. He is a three-time honorable mention All-American and two-time team captain. Timms received his degree in economics last May and played this season as a graduate student while enrolled in a master’s of commerce program in UVa’s McIntire School of Commerce.

Mellors, a Pittsburgh native, helped the Cavalier men’s swimming and diving team to its second straight ACC championship in February and was named an honorable mention All-American in the 400 IM. He finished his career with eight All-America accolades in addition to being the school record holder in both the 200 and 400 individual medley events. He was named the 2007 ACC Swimmer of the Year and the 2005 Freshman of the Year. Mellors recently earned his bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from UVa.

Wrestling at 149 pounds, Ferrara, a native of Doylestown, Pa., compiled a 17-10 record this year, including a 7-5 mark in dual matches. He was second on the team with seven major decisions and has a career mark of 50-32. Ferrara is majoring in sports medicine with a minor in Spanish. He was recently named a one of 10 national finalists for the Ashe Award.

The Academic All-District at-large teams are open to student-athletes from the sports of women’s bowling, women’s crew, men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s rifle, men’s and women’s skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo and wrestling. To be a candidate for the honor, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve and must carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better.

First and second teams in University and College divisions were announced last Thursday for eight districts across the U.S. After another round of voting among those named to the first teams, Academic All-America teams will be announced on June 9 (men) and 11 (women).