Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. - Nine members of the women's track and field squad were named to the 2008 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-academic team on Aug. 5, as well as the women's squad earning all-academic honors as a team for maintaining a cumulative grade point average of above 3.0.
"It's nice to be recognized from an academic standpoint," Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Dave Cianelli said. "Our number one goal here is for our students to do well academically. Sometimes that gets overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments. It is nice for our coaches' association to recognize the individuals and teams who have succeeded in the classroom.
Rising seniors Tasmin Fanning, Jessica Fanning and Natalie Sherbak all earned a spot on the track and field all-academic team after being named to the 2007 cross country all-academic team in March. Tasmin Fanning earned all-American status by finishing sixth in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while Sherbak placed 16th overall in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAAs.
Rising Sophomore Kelly Phillips, who also earned all-America honors in the pole vault this spring with a sixth-place effort at the national outdoor meet, rising junior Asia Washington, an outdoor national qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles and 4x400-meter relay and regionally-qualifying pole vaulter rising junior Elise Birnbaum round out the current women's athletes to achieve all-academic honors.
Three former Hokies, thrower Kristen Callan, hurdler Sherlenia Green and sprinter Britni Spruill also were named to the squad. The three were all national qualifiers in the outdoor season, with Callan in the hammer throw, Green in the 400-meter hurdles and Spruill in the 200-meter dash. Along with this academic award, Green also received ESPN the Magazine first-team Academic All-America honors.
The squad also earned all-academic honors as a team with a team cumulative grade point average of 3.25. Tech was one of 15 schools to be named on the list and finish in the top 25 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
2008 Division I Women's All-Academic Track and Field Teams
Elise Birnbaum, Sophomore, Art-Fine Arts
Kristen Callan, Senior, Education-Curriculum and Instruction
Tasmin Fanning, Junior, Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
Jessica Fanning, Redshirt Junior, Architecture
Sherlenia Green, Senior, Education-Health and Physical Education
Kelly Phillips, Redshirt Freshman, Biology
Natalie Sherbak, Redshirt Junior, Marketing
Britni Spruill, Senior , Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
Asia Washington, Sophomore, Business
2008 Division I All-Academic Track and Field Teams
Virginia Tech women, 3.25