72 Track and Field Athletes Named to Academic All-MWC Team

PROVO -- Seventy-two athletes from the BYU men’s and women’s track and field teams were honored for their academic success by being named to the 2009 Academic All-MWC Team Tuesday.

The women’s track and field team had the most selections of the BYU women’s sports with 45, while the men’s track and field team followed suit leading the Cougar men with 27 selections.

“It’s always good to have great representation in class and on the track,” said BYU men’s track and field head coach Mark Robison. “Academic success is a focus for these athletes being here, so it’s a great honor for them to achieve this.”

Other team contributions for the Cougar total included the following: women’s swimming and diving (21), men’s swimming and diving (15), baseball (12), women’s basketball (6), men’s golf (5), women’s golf (5), women’s tennis (5) men’s tennis (3), men’s basketball (3) and softball (1).

"We are very pleased with the success of our student-athletes in the classroom and in competition," said BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe. "Both endeavors are equally important to us at BYU and demonstrate the quality of our student-athletes."

A total of 772 student-athletes were named to the spring 2009 Academic All-MWC team setting a new conference record. The previous high was 731, set twice before in the spring semesters of 2008 and 2006.

Spring sports include baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field.

In order to be for team selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.

Men's Track and Field
Name            Year       Major                                   
Kevin Ahlstrom     Sophomore  Electrical Engineering
Miles Batty        Sophomore  Exercise Science
Kevin Biesinger    Junior     Neuroscience
Brett Birkeland    Freshman   Civil Engineering
McKade Brady       Freshman   Undeclared
Wes Collett        Freshman   Communications Pre-major
Tanner Emrich      Sophomore  Construction Management
Tek Fish           Freshman   Landscape Management
Drew Foster        Sophomore  Exercise Science
Travis Fuller      Freshman   Undeclared
Peter Gustafsson   Sophomore  Accounting
Jacob Gustafsson   Senior     Professional Accountancy
Robert Harrison    Senior     Civil Engineering
Trevor Heiner      Sophomore  General Business
Matthew Johnston   Senior     Exercise Science
Meelis Kosk        Sophomore  International Relations
Jonathan Kotter    Junior     Finance
Daniel Lawson      Junior     Manufacturing Engineering Technoloogy
Ryan Merriman      Junior     Political Science
Whitney Neves      Senior     Exercise Science
Nathan Ogden       Sophomore  Accounting
Nathaniel Page     Senior     Post-Baccalaureate Studies
Bryan Payne        Junior     Microbiology
Aaron Powell       Sophomore  Political Science
Robert Skidmore    Junior     Communications Pre-major
Lance Walker       Junior     Business
Jason Witt         Freshman   Undeclared

Women's Track and Field
Name            Year       Major
Tara Anderson      Junior     Home & Family Living
Katy Andrews       Freshman   Exercise Science
Diana Blauer       Freshman   Elementary Educaiton Premajor
Christen Botteron  Freshman   Pre-Management Core
Shanie Bushman     Freshman   Mathematics
Alyssa Christensen Sophomore  Spanish
Erin Christiansen  Sophomore  Political Science
Karin Clark        Junior     Exercise Science
Nichole Clark      Sophomore  Mechanical Engineering
Emily Dunn         Sophomore  Undeclared
Madara Dzalbe      Junior     European Studies
Sarah Edwards      Freshman   Undeclared
Sarah Rachel Frey  Junior     Dietetics
Whitney Gebert     Junior     Urban, Rural, & Environmental Planning
Allissa Huffaker   Freshman   Pre-Management Core
Stephanie Jensen   Freshman   Nursing Premajor Program
Hannah Kent-Johnston Sophomore History
Tamra Keys         Sophomore  Elementary Education Premajor
Piret Kuresson     Senior     Exercise Science
Amy Layne          Senior     Engineering
Cecily Lemmon      Junior     Print Journalism
Jessica Lemmon     Senior     English
Kindy Longmore     Junior     Elementary Education
Jenna Lowder       Junior     Advertising
Kelly Marcroft     Junior     Landscape Management
Sandra Mazan       Junior     Economics
Amy Menlove        Junior     School Health Education
Mindy Neeley       Junior     Public Health Education
Emily Page         Junior     Marriage, Family, & Human Development
Katie Palmer       Sophomore  Civil Engineering
Ashley Payne       Senior     Exercise Science
Amelia Rapp        Sophomore  Chemical Engineering
Mindy Robins       Sophomore  Exercise Science
Ashley Shepard     Senior     Food Industry Management
Diane Stewart      Sophomore  Landscape Management
Nachelle Stewart   Freshman   Undeclared
Natalie Stewart    Freshman   Undeclared
Chelsea Taylor     Freshman   Athletic Training
Sharrisa Thayer    Freshman   Nursing Premajor Program
Samantha Thayne    Freshman   Nursing Premajor Program
Ashlee Thomas      Freshman   Business Analysis
Angela Wagner      Junior     Broadcast Journalism
Jennifer Welling   Freshman   Undeclared
Deezbaa Whaley     Sophomore  Physical Education Teaching K-12
Sarah Yingling     Freshman   Undeclared