College Sports Information Directors of America

LONG BEACH, Calif.-- Senior Lindsay Shearer of Kent State University and senior Lindsey Dietz of the University of Minnesota-Duluth head the 2005-06 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Womens Basketball Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
        Shearer, a native of Minerva, Ohio, was selected as the Academic All-America of the Year in the University Division.  Shearer has posted a 3.95 cumulative grade point average as a Business major at Kent State and was a second team Academic All-America selection last year and a third team pick in 2004.  This year, she is averaging 20.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting .511 from the field and .871 at the free throw line.
        "It is really a special honor to be recognized with this award, said Shearer.  I am extremely grateful, and a bit surprised, to be honest, to be named the Academic All-America of the Year.  I take great pride in my work in the classroom and on the basketball court and to now be included in such a select group of outstanding student-athletes, it really means a lot to me. It's a great honor to have been chosen for the Academic All-America Team now three times, and being the Academic All-America is something that is above and beyond that. I truly am grateful and very appreciative of this wonderful award.
Dietz, a native of Elk River, Minn., was selected as the Academic All-America of the Year in the College Division for the second consecutive year.  A three-time Academic All-America honoree, the Bulldog star has posted a 3.97 cumulative grade point average in Math and Psychology at Minnesota-Duluth.  Dietz is currently averaging 23.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs while shooting .664 from the field and .787 at the free throw line.
          Its a honor to get this award, said Dietz.  No matter how may basketball career might have turned out, Ive always worked hard in the classroom.  I think academics and sports go hand-in-hand.  Excelling in one makes you excel in the other.  Its nice to be recognized for the effort you put in at school.  I think its good for other people to see athletes working just as hard as other students do.
Joining Shearer on the University Division Academic All-America first team squad were Indiana States Melanie Boeglin, Notre Dames Megan Duffy, Michigan States Liz Shimek and Tennessees Shanna Zolman.  The second team was comprised of Shay Doron of Maryland, Chrissy Givens of Middle Tennessee State, Sarah Klaassen of Missouri State, Jackie McFarland of Colorado and Lindsay Thomas of Colorado State.  Rounding out the University Division Academic All-America team were third team members April Calhoun of Minnesota, Leslie Cook of High Point, Kristin Peoples of Arkansas, Betsy Rietema of Valparaiso and Ann Strother of Connecticut.
        Dietz was joined on the College Division Academic All-America first team were Messiah Colleges Eli Cook, Ripon Colleges Karalyn Dehn, Bridgewater Colleges Marsha Kinder and Molloy Colleges Donna Lohrey.  The second team was comprised of DeeDee Arnall of Pacific University (Ore.), Sara Heitkamp of Capital, Amanda Newton of Drury, Katie Williamson of North Georgia College & State University and Lisa Winkle of Calvin College.  Rounding out the College Division Academic All-America team were third team members Alison Adamson of Augustana College (S.D.), Kathy Baum of St. John Fisher College, Erika Eisenhut of Union College (N.Y.), Katie Maguire of Buena Vista and Rebecca Wessinger of Presbyterian College.
        The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom.  Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000 member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
        To be eligible, a student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.  Since the programs inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
        ESPN The Magazine winner of the 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.85 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.
        For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com or email rlipe@bentley.edu.


2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Womens Basketball Team (University Division) as selected by CoSIDA
    
First Team

Name                         School                    Year      Hometown            GPA        Major
Melanie Boeglin        Indiana State (V)     Sr.        Terre Haute, Ind.     3.88        Marketing
Megan Duffy              Notre Dame (V)        Sr.        Dayton, Ohio           3.56        Psychology/Comp. App.
Lindsay Shearer        Kent State (IV)          Sr.        Minerva, Ohio         3.95        Business
Liz Shimek                Michigan State (IV)   Sr.        Empire, Mich.         3.72        General Business Mgt.
Shanna Zolman       Tennessee (IV)           Sr.        Syracuse, Ind.         3.56        Journalism