Academic breakfast honors Razorback scholars

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Athletics Department celebrated the classroom accomplishments of its student-athletes at the Scholar-Athlete Awards Breakfast Tuesday.

The Athletics Department hosted a breakfast for student-athletes and handed out awards honoring those who have achieved at the highest levels.

Three teams were honored with the department’s highest grade point average for the spring and fall semesters of 2008. Men’s tennis checked with a 3.09 while swimming and diving and gymnasts led the department with 3.38 gpas.

Three others were honored for their improvement in gpa from the fall of 2007 to the fall 2008. Those teams were baseball, football and women’s tennis.

Several individual athletes were also honored. Using criteria similar to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll, nine student-athletes were awarded clocks recognizing their career 4.00 gpa or a 4.00 for the three previous regular semester terms.

Those student-athletes were Nanar Airapetian (women’s tennis — at right), Jackie Booker (soccer), Stephanie Carr (swimming and diving), Jessica Clark (swimming and diving), Tara Diebold (women’s track and field), Hillary Freeman (softball), Elizabeth McVean (soccer) and Corrinna Rees (women’s golf).

Each member of the past athletic department academic honor rolls were highlighted in a video presentation.

In addition, the special academic awards associated with each sport were recognized and highlighted. Each individual coaching association has its own athletic-academic honor lists, and those athletes include:

Football: Jeremy Davis, Draddy Semifinalist Gymnastics: NACGCA All-America Team Alex LaChance, NACGA Individual Honors Softball: NFGC Top 25 Team NFGC Scholar-Athlete Honorees:Jessica Bachkora, Rebecca Carden, Miranda Dixon, Hillary Freeman, Layne McGuirt, Jocelyn Moncrief, Sandra SmithSoccer: Kat Moffet, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-DistrictSwimming & Diving: Stephanie Carr, ESPN The Magazine Academic All District CSCAA Academic All-Americans: Ashley Largo, Shara Sutphen, Erica Totten, Madison Palmer, Stephanie Carr, Summer Jackson, Erin Neumann Men’s Tennis: Blake Strode, 2008 SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the YearWomen’s Tennis: Aurelija Misevicute, 2008 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America at-Large TeamMen’s XC/Track & Field: USTFXCCA 2008 All-AmericaTeam Members: Alex McClary and James StrangWomen’s XC/ Track & Field: UCTFXCCA 2008 All-America Team Members: Denise Bargiachi, Tara Diebold, Megan Jackson, Kristen Keith, Sarah Landau, Katie Stripling, Catherine White