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NEW ORLEANS, La. – Eight members of the Virginia Tech women’s track & field team have been named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Track & Field Team. The honorees include Auyne Boone, Courtney Dobbs, Sammy Dow, Frances Dowd, Lauren Lemieux, Kelly Phillips, Caitlin Thornley and Asia Washington. Phillips and Washington are repeat award winners.

“My staff and I are very excited that 16 of our student-athletes (eight men and eight women) have been recognized for their academic performance by the USTFCCCA,” said Virginia Tech Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Dave Cianelli. “These students also represent some of our very best athletes, again proving that here at Virginia Tech excellence is our standard on and off the track.”

Boone, a junior English major from St. Leonard, Md., led the team in the outdoor 400-meter dash, setting a personal best at the Hurricane Invitational (55.23). Indoors, she ran on the school record-setting 4x400-meter relay at the ACC Championship (3:38.16) and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Dobbs, a freshman accounting major from Glen Allen, Va., was Tech’s top performer in the 10,000-meter run during the outdoor season, qualifying for the NCAA East Regional after setting a new personal best in the event at the ACC Championship (35:06.40). She also competed at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the 5,000-meter run, finishing third in a personal best 16:58.69. Indoors, Dobbs recorded a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championship (16:46.63) and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Dow, a redshirt sophomore human nutrition, foods and exercise major from Midlothian, Va., set the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Regional (10:16.15), qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championship. During the indoor season, she led the team in the 800 (2:11.52) and 3,000 meters (9:45.89), setting new personal bests in both events.

Dowd, a sophomore business management major from Fairfax, Va., was Tech’s top runner in the outdoor 800 meters, setting a new collegiate best at the NCAA East Regional (2:09.07). Indoors, Dowd ran the third leg on the third-place distance medley relay squad at the ACC Championship (11:17.72).

Lemieux is a junior engineering science and mathematics major from Huntsville, Ala. During the 2011 outdoor campaign, she led the team in the 1,500 meters, setting a new personal best at the NCAA East Regional (4:25.39). Indoors, Lemieux also ran on the third-place DMR team at the ACC Championship and led the team in the 1,000 meters.

Phillips is a senior biology and human nutrition, foods and exercise double major from Blacksburg, Va. This outdoor season, Phillips posted a season-best 12-11.75 (3.96m) in the pole vault with a win at the Liberty Twilight. She also qualified for the NCAA East Regional and competed at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Indoors, Phillips automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship in the pole vault, setting a new school record in the process at the VT Elite Meet (14-1.25, 4.30m). She placed ninth at the national meet (13-5.25, 4.10m), earning All-America honors for the second time and also earned her second ACC Championship. Phillips darned numerous awards off the track this season. She was selected as a first team Capital One Academic All-American, becoming a two-time Academic All-American (third team, 2010). Phillips also was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for indoor and outdoor track for the fourth consecutive year, won the Weaver-James-Corrigan Graduate Scholarship Award and the NCAA Elite 88 Award during the indoor season.

Thornley, a senior environmental science major from Greensboro, N.C., set a new outdoor best in the pole vault, placing second at the Liberty Twilight meet (12-11.75, 3.96m). Indoors, Thornley vaulted a season-best 12-2 (3.71m) at the VT Elite Meet.

Washington, a senior business major from Piscataway, N.J., ran the lead leg on the school record-setting 4x400-meter relay at the ACC Indoor Championship (3:38.16). She earned All-ACC honors in the 400-meter dash with a third-place finish of 53.75 at the ACC Championship and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the third time in her career. A two-time All-American, Washington ended her career with eight school records (three individual, five relay).

A record total of 663 student-athletes representing 172 institutions were named to the All-Academic team.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either of the following athletic standards: for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org; for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).

The eight Hokie women join eight men’s All-Academic honorees named yesterday. In addition, Alexander Ziegler was named the Men’s Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Institutions given All-Academic Team status will be named on Wednesday, Aug. 10 (men) and Thursday, Aug. 11 (women).

Complete USTFCCCA Women's All-Academic Team and Award Winners

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