GTE Academic All-America Women's At-Large Teams Include 10 NCAA Champions

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STAMFORD, Conn., -- Ten student-athletes who won an NCAA championship in 1997 were named to the GTE Academic All-America Spring Women's At-Large Teams, announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

In the University Division, Amy Acuff of UCLA (track), a senior from Robstown, Texas (3.32/pre-biology) was the indoor and outdoor high jump champion; Kellee Booth of Arizona State (golf), a junior from Coto de Caza, Calif. (3.53/business management) was a member of the team champion Sun Devils; Heather Bowie of Texas (golf), a senior from Edmond, Okla.(3.43/finance) won the individual crown; and Stephanie Nickitas of Florida (tennis), a sophomore from Tampa, Fla. (3.68/marketing) was a member of the champion doubles team.

The GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year was Janet Blomstedt of Nebraska (track) a junior from Hershey, Neb. (4.00/business administration), who holds the NCAA record of 4,325 points in the pentathlon.. The award goes to the team member who "best represents the qualities of an Academic All-America Team Member."

In the College Division, Amy Bippert of Angelo State (track), a senior from LaCoste, Texas (3.78/kinesiology) was the Division II heptathlon champion and the College Division's Team Member of the Year; Betsy Haverkamp of Calvin (track), a senior from Kentwood, Mich. (3.64/Spanish/education) was the Division III champion in the 3,000-meters; Laura Nelson of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (track), a junior from Schofield, Wis. (3.92/elementary education/language arts) was a star on the Division III outdoor team champions; Missy Oleson of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (track), a senior from Marinette, Wis. (3.59/elementary education/math) was also a team champion and won the individual title in the shot put; Amy Rowland of Kenyon (tennis), a senior from Dayton, Ohio (3.65/psychology) was a member of the Division III champions; and Lace Van Zeeland of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (track), a senior from Kimberly, Wis. (3.93/physical therapy) was a member of the Division III 1,600-meter relay champions.

The GTE Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who are named to district teams prior to being voted upon on the national level. CoSIDA has been selecting Academic All-America teams since 1952.

GTE has been the exclusive sponsor of the Academic All-America program since 1985. With revenues of more than $21 billion in 1996, GTE is one of the largest publicly held telecommunications companies in the world. In the United States, GTE offers local and wireless service in 29 states and long-distance service in all 50 states. GTE was the first among its peers to offer "one-stop shopping" for local, long-distance and Internet access services.

Following is a complete list of the 1997 GTE Academic All-America Women's At-Large Teams for the spring semester in the University and College Divisions:

1997 GTE Academic All-America Women's Spring At-Large Teams

University Division First Team

NameSchool/SportYearHometownGPA/Major
Maria Abatjoglou Kansas (Tennis) Jr. Charleston, W. Va. 4.00/Spanish/Philosophy
Amy Acuff UCLA (Track) Sr. Robstown, Texas 3.32/Pre-Biology
Dena Adams Tennessee Tech (Track) Grad. Lawrenceburg, Tenn. 3.91/Accounting
Janet Blomstedt*** Nebraska (Track) Jr. Hershey, Neb. 4.00/Business Admin.
Sarah Blossom Eastern Kentucky (Track) Soph. Indianapolis, Ind. 4.00/Occupational Therapy
Kellee Booth Arizona St. (Golf) Jr. Coto de Caza, Calif. 3.53/Business Mgmt.
Heather Bowie Texas (Golf) Sr. Edmond, Okla. 3.43/Finance
Kathy Butler Wisconsin (Track) Sr. Waterloo, Ont. 3.59/Kinesiology
Becky Gusic Penn St. (Track) Sr. West Mifflin, Pa. 3.97/Chemical Engineering
Divya Merchant Florida (Tennis) Sr. Bombay, India 3.53/Psychology
Angela Murphy Coastal Carolina (Track) Sr. Cork, Ireland 3.88/Biology
Jill Myatt Nebraska (Track) Sr. Iowa City, Iowa 3.70/Biochemistry
Stephanie Nickitas Florida (Tennis) Soph. Tampa, Fla. 3.68/Marketing
Katie Ollendick Virginia Tech (Track) Sr. Blacksburg, Va. 4.00/Psych./Exercise Science
Rikke Pederson Northern Arizona (Track) Jr. Stenloese, Denmark 4.00/Civil Engineering

University Division Second Team

Dora Djilianova Fresno St. (Tennis) Soph. Plovdiv, Bulgaria 4.00/Pre-Business
Amy Erickson Marquette (Track) Jr. Two Rivers, Wis. 3.53/Speech Pathology
Michelle Fournier Rhode Island (Track) Soph. Pierrefonds, Que. 3.98/Marketing/Finance
Gladys Ganiel Providence (Track) Soph. Harrington, Maine 3.97/Political Science
Amy Green Bucknell (Lacrosse) Sr. Titusville, N.J. 3.70/Biochemistry
Kelsie Hess Duquesne (Track) Sr. Valencia, Pa. 3.87/Biology
Karen Margrethe Juul San Jose St. (Golf) Soph. Esbjerg, Denmark 3.96/Undecided
Kate Landau Georgetown (Track) Jr. Neversink, N.Y. 3.72/Biology/Psychology
Kristin Loedrup Idaho St. (Track) Jr. Oslo, Norway 4.00/Political Science
Dana Remus Harvard (Crew) Sr. Bedford, N.H. 3.91/East Asian Studies
Angela Olsen Tennessee-Martin (Tennis) Sr. Canterbury, England 3.98/Geography
Sheila Sachdev Miami (Fla.) (Crew) Jr. Titusville, Fla. 4.00/Biology
Sabine Siekmann Idaho St. (Tennis) Sr. Rotenburt, Germany 4.00/English
Anne Vollmer Wyoming (Track) Sr. Rapid City, S.D. 4.00/Exercise Physiology
Becca Williams Miami (Ohio) (Track) Sr. New Castle, Ind. 3.45/Exercise Science

University Division Third Team

Courtney Allen Kentucky (Tennis) Sr. Louisville, Ky. 3.93/Marketing
Lisa Beran Kansas (Track) Jr. Hays, Kan. 3.92/Pre-Medicine
Danielle Berkey St. Francis (Pa.) (Track) Sr. Altoona, Pa. 3.90/Biology
Julie Boros Georgia (Golf) Jr. Plantation, Fla. 3.96/Finance
Daisy Bygrave Seton Hall (Track) Sr. Westin, Ont. 3.81/Criminal Justice
Megan Flowers Arkansas (Track) Sr. Ft. Worth, Texas 3.68/English
Kaarin Knudson Oregon (Track) Jr. Anchorage, Alaska 3.94/Journalism
Margaret McParland Manhattan (Track) Sr. Shannon Cty. Clare, Ire. 3.91/Accounting
Becky Monroe Georgetown (Crew) Sr. Austin, Texas 3.96/Gov't./Pol. Theory
Rebecca Morgan UNC-Greensboro (Golf) Sr. Herefordshire, Wales 3.58/Geography
Suzana Rodrigues LSU (Tennis) Sr. Cascavel, Brazil 3.60/Mass Communications
Heidi Shultz Washington St. (Track) Sr. White Salmon, Wash. 3.88/Education
Christine Shortsleeve Harvard (Lacrosse) Sr. Belmont, Mass. 3.72/History
Kim Smitherman Louisiana Tech (Tennis) Jr. Hot Springs, Ariz. 4.00/Bio-Medical Engineering
Colleen Sunderland Rutgers (Track) Soph. Bordentown, N.J. 4.00/Biological Sciences
Kary Tomaw Central Michigan (Track) Sr. Jackson, Mich. 3.73/Communication Disorders
Tammy Zettler Syracuse (Crew) Sr. Wichita Falls, Texas 3.93/Civil Engineering

***GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year - University Division

College Division First Team

NameSchool/SportYearHometownGPA/Major
Rachel Barnes Notre Dame (Md.) (Lacrosse) Sr. Baltimore, Md. 3.80/Biology/Pre-Med.
Megan Bern Emory (Tennis) Sr. Pittsford, N.Y. 3.97/English
Amy Bippert*** Angelo St. (Track) Sr. LaCoste, Texas 3.78/Kinesiology
Kathy Jo Dalton Wayne (Neb.) St. (Track) Sr. Waverly, Neb. 3.97/Accounting
Melanie Enneking Pittsburg (Kan.) St. (Track) Sr. Tonganoxie, Kan. 4.00/English
Renee Erickson Concordia (Minn.) (Track) Sr. New Rockford, N.Dak. 3.65/Accounting
Eve Halderson Kalamazoo (Tennis) Sr. Kalamazoo, Mich. 4.00/Physics/Mathematics
Betsy Haverkamp Calvin (Track) Sr. Kentwood, Mich. 3.64/Spanish/Education
Laura Nelson Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Track) Jr. Schofield, Wis. 3.92/Elem. Ed./Lang. Arts
Missy Oleson Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Track) Sr. Marinette, Wis. 3.59/Elementary Ed./Math
Jenny Peters Loras (Track) Sr. Webster City, Iowa 4.00/Biology Research
Nicole Purick St. Lawrence (Track) Sr. Morrisonville, N.Y. 3.96/Mathematics
Amy Rowland Kenyon (Tennis) Sr. Dayton, Ohio 3.65/Psychology
Lace Van Zeeland Wisconsin-LaCrosse (Track) Sr. Kimberly, Wis. 3.93/Physical Therapy
Laura Witek St. Joseph's (Ind.) (Track) Sr. Marengo, Ill. 3.95/Elementary Education

College Division Second Team

Danielle Argento Shippensburg (Lacrosse) Jr. Westbury, N.Y. 3.97/Elementary Education
Elke Aun Worcester St. (Track) Sr. Viljandi, Estonia 3.75/French/Spanish
Erika Callaway Oklahoma City (Tennis) Sr. Moore, Okla. 4.03/Religion
Audrey Coates Hope (Tennis) Sr. Holland, Mich. 3.55/Engineering
Hilde de Boer Wisconsin-LaCrosse (Track) Jr. LaCrosse, Wis. 3.92/Political Science
Cindy Farris Angelo St. (Track) Jr. San Angelo, Texas 3.96/Mathematics
Correy Frey Mount St. Joseph (Tennis) Sr. Brookville, Ind. 3.97/Math/Computer Sci.
Jennifer Hartman Cedar Crest (Lacrosse) Jr. Boyertown, Pa. 3.89/Genetic Engineering
Krista Hoversten Michigan Tech (Tennis) Sr. Ann Arbor, Mich. 3.97/Env. Engineering
Amy Koontz Bloomsburg (Tennis) Soph. Bedford, Pa. 3.98/Pol. Science/Pre-Law
Lisa Malmin Seattle Pacific (Track) Jr. Gig Harbor, Wash. 3.98/Chemistry
Lori Monroe Colby-Sawyer (Tennis) Sr. Littleton, N.H. 3.84/Exercise & Sport Sci.
Betsy Parker Guilford (Tennis) Sr. Harrisonburg, Va. 3.70/Mathematics
Jill Patronagio Augustana (Ill.) (Track) Jr. Coal Valley, Ill. 4.00/Biology/Pre-Veterinary
Adrian Poole Emory (Tennis) Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 3.94/Biology

College Division Third Team

Andrea Clark Calvin (Track) Jr. McBain, Mich. 3.80/Commun./Rec. Ther.
Kristen Donato Springfield (Track) Sr. Sanborn, N.Y. 3.30/Physical Education
Mandee Galbraith St. Michael's (Lacrosse) Sr. Sherill, N.Y. 3.51/Psychology
Natalia Garcia Washington & Lee (Tennis) Jr. Santo Domingo, D.R. 3.62/Psychology
Diana Harlick Cal.-Davis (Track) Sr. Burlingame, Calif. 3.80/Sociology
Andrea Jeseritz North Dakota St. (Track) Jr. Hutchinson, Minn. 3.89/Psychology
Julie Mavity Abilene Christian (Tennis) Soph. Katy, Texas 4.00/History
Thersa Olenick Baldwin-Wallace (Tennis) Sr. North Olmsted, Ohio 3.77/Education
Jennifer Olsen Nebraska-Wesleyan (Tennis) Jr. Lincoln, Neb. 4.00/Business Admin.
Wendy Platt Pittsburg (Kan.) St. (Track) Sr. Shawnee, Kan. 3.94/Psychology
Theresa Richardson Grand Valley St. (Track) Jr. Brighton, Mich. 3.99/Accounting
Katie Smith St. Lawrence (Tennis) Jr. Belmont, Mass. 4.00/English
Heidi Swarts SUNY Cortland (Track) Jr. Dansville, N.Y. 3.46/Music
Chrissy Swartz Ohio Wesleyan (Lacrosse) Jr. Columbus, Ohio 3.86/Chemistry/Pre-Med
Debbie Volkers Augustana (S.D.) (Track) Soph. Primghar, Iowa 3.64/Fitness
Debra Wood Gannon (Lacrosse) Soph. Coatesville, Pa. 3.67/Pre-Physical Therapy

*** GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year - College Division

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