TOWSON, Md. – West Chester University junior distance swimmer Kristen Montello has been named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Women’s At-Large Academic All-America® College Division first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) it was announced Monday afternoon.
Montello was a six-time All-American at this year's NCAA Division II Championships. She also carries a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point average in the major of Communicative Disorders. The women’s at-large program for Academic All-America® includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, swimming, tennis and water polo.
Montello was named a PSAC Winter Top 10 athlete award winner as well last month after leading the Golden Rams to their fourth straight team title at the PSAC Championships in February
Montello finished fifth in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 500 free and fourth in the 1,000 free at the NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in March. She also swam a leg on three relay teams that each placed in the top eight at nationals.
At the PSAC Championships, Montello walked away with two individual conference crowns (500 free and 1,000 free) as well as swimming a leg of three more relay teams that won a PSAC title.
Montello becomes the second West Chester University athlete to be named an Academic All-American® this past academic season following women’s soccer player Jessica Bennett. Montello is the first women’s swimmer to be so honored since Tammy Leane was selected back in the 2006-07 academic school year.
The 16 members of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large College Division first team have a very impressive average G.P.A. of 3.94. Eight of the first team selections have 4.00 G.P.A.’s.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 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 program’s 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.
2010 ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America ®
Women’s At-Large (College Division) as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Name School Dist. Cl. Hometown GPA Major
Kate Aherne (Swimming) Truman State VII Sr. Cary, Ill. 3.88 Business Administration
Marianne Andersson (Golf) Florida Southern III Jr. Bjuv, Sweden 4.00 Finance
Jessica Barby (Water Polo) Wash. & Jefferson II Sr. Sinking Spring, Pa. 3.95 Child Development Ed.
Melissa Baudhuin (Gymnastics) Winona State V Jr. Oshkosh, Wis. 4.00 Chemistry
Jackie Bogensberger (Lacrosse) Adelphi I Gr. Valley Stream, N.Y. 4.00 Mathematics
Meredith Butte (Water Polo) Cal Lutheran VIII Sr. Santa Monica, Cal. 3.80 Biology
Lillian Ciardelli (Swimming) Emory III Sr. Hanover, N.H. 3.81 Psychology
Sarah Darst (Gymnastics) So. Conn. St. I Sr. Tampa, Fla. 3.95 Exercise Science and Human Performance
Kirsten Dier (Ice Hockey) Amherst I Sr. Appleton, Wis. 3.90 Neuroscience
Chelsea Hoff (Swimming) Wisc.-La Crosse V Sr. Middleton, Wis. 4.00 ESS-Fitness & Pre-Physical Therapy
Kelly Johnson (Field Hockey) Worcester Poly. I Sr. Buxton, Maine 4.00 Mechanical Engineering
Kristen Montello (Swimming) West Chester II Jr. Chambersburg, Pa. 4.00 Communicative Disorders
Nicole Moody (Swimming) Wingate III Jr. Grovetown, Ga. 4.00 Psychology
Melissa Oosterhouse (Tennis) Calvin IV Jr. Grand Rapids, Mich. 3.92 Biology
Bobby Sanders (Water Polo) Cal Lutheran VIII Sr. Anchorage, Alaska 4.00 Exer. Science & Sports Medicine Psych.
Ruth Westby (Swimming) Emory III Sr. Dunwoody, Ga. 3.78 Environmental Science, Political Science
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America ® of the Year: Chelsea Hoff, Wisconsin-La Crosse
