Almost four out of five Lady'Backs on the academic honor roll

FAYETTEVILLE – Almost four out of five Lady Razorback student-athletes posted semester grades above 3.00 to set a new record for academic achievement according to the Women’s Athletics Department Academic Excellence Honor Roll.

The 78% mark – 113 of the 145 total athletes enrolled for Spring 2007 – surpassed the 74% record set during the Spring 2004 semester. A total of 19 Lady’Backs had perfect 4.00 grades as the department shattered the all-time grade point average record.

The department’s combined GPA was 3.32, crushing the previous record of 3.24 also from Spring 2004.

“One of the hallmarks of our department is our academic record, but this past semester our student-athletes have outdone themselves,” Women’s Athletic Director Bev Lewis said. “It was not only the number of athletes on the honor roll, but the quality of their work.”

The 113 Lady’Backs with “B” or better grades breaks the mark of 110 on the honor roll from the Fall of 2002.

Senior team captain Kristin Thibodeaux along with teammates Stephanie Carr, Allison Chinn, Emily Gregory and Katie McGraw gave first-year swimming head coach Jeff Poppell the largest number of Academic Champions. In addition to her perfect final semester grades, Thibodeaux graduated in marketing this past spring and recipient of a Southeastern Conference Community Service post-graduate scholarship.

Soccer was right behind swimming with four — biology major Devon Burger, kinesiology major Jackie Booker, business major Sarah Finn and psychology major Allison Harris — Academic Champions. The Lady’Back track team had three athletes as Jennifer Fall, a health sciences major; Caroline Peyton, English; and Angela Scott, management, were Lance Harter’s 4.00 students in track. Volleyball also had three athletes on the Academic Champion list with Kelli Cole, English, Jessica Dorrell, finance; and Yun Tang, political science.

Rachell Barnett, kinesiology, and Allison Daniels, psychology, represented the gymnastics squad among the Lady’Backs with perfect spring semester grades. Tennis player Rachel Wilhelm and softball’s Jessica Bachkora rounded out the 4.00 students.

Among the 47 Lady Razorbacks named to the Athletic Director’s List with grades from 3.50 to 3.99 were 2007 NCAA golf national champion and U.S. Open qualifier Stacy Lewis, SEC Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year Sarah Pfeifer.

Another 47 athletes were on the Women’s Athletic Department Honor Roll with NCAA pole vault national runner-up Jodi Unger among those posting grades for grades from 3.00 to 3.50.

Started in 1989, the Women’s Athletics Department Academic Excellence program recognizes the classroom achievements of Lady Razorbacks with grades over 3.00 for each full semester at the University. Here are the full Academic Excellence Honor Rolls for the Spring 2007 semester:

ACADEMIC CHAMPIONS (4.00): Jessica Bachkora, kinesiology, softball; Rachel Barnett, kinesiology, gymnastics; Jackie Booker, kinesiology, soccer; Devon Burger, biology, soccer; Stephanie Carr, journalism, swimming; Allison Chinn, biology, swimming; Kelli Cole, English, volleyball; Allison Daniels, psychology, gymnastics; Jessica Dorrell, finance, volleyball; Jennifer Fall, health science, track; Sarah Finn, business, soccer; Emily Gregory, mathematics, swimming; Allison Harris, psychology, soccer; Katie McGraw, finance, swimming; Caroline Peyton, English, track-cross country; Angela Scott, management, track; Yun Tang, political science, volleyball; Kristen Thibodeaux, marketing, swimming; Rachel Wilhelm, journalism, tennis.

WOMEN’S ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S LIST (3.99-3.50): Nanar Airpetian, international business, tennis; Amy Allison, kinesiology, volleyball; Denise Bargiachi, journalism, track-cross country; Dacia Barr, information systems, track-cross country; Brandy Baze, kinesiology, softball; Carly Bloomfield, animal science, track; Tominique Boatright, business education, track; Ayana Brereton, sociology, basketball; Kele Brewer, kinesiology, volleyball; Samantha Buckner, communication, softball; Christina Burger, marketing, soccer; Destiny Clark, kinesiology, volleyball; Caira Daugherty, psychology, volleyball; Beth Fahey, kinesiology, track-cross country; Paige Farrell, kinesiology, track; Hillary Freeman, communication, softball; Sarah Freudenrich, chemistry, volleyball; Mariann Fulop, recreation, swimming; Sarah Gwisdala, marketing, soccer; Katy Henry, English, softball; Dayna Huckabee, kinesiology, softball; Megan Jackson, liberal arts, track-cross country; Tori Kennedy, recreation, diving; Laura Kerr, education, track-cross country; Denitza Koleva, kinesiology, volleyball; Alex LaChance, kinesiology, gymnastics; Stacy Lewis, finance, golf; Ashley Miller, health science, volleyball; Aurelija Misevuciute, economics, tennis; Kat Moffett, journalism, soccer; Miranda Mounts, health science, softball; Lucy Nunn, kinesiology, golf; Kathleen Paulsen, liberal arts, soccer; Emily Peacock, journalism, gymnastics; Sarah Pfeifer, recreation, basketball; Tiffany Phelps, international business, golf; Tiffany Redlarczyk, kinesiology, track-cross country; Jessica Reed, poultry science, softball; Corinna Rees, liberal arts, golf; Michelle Rossio, biology, track; Katie Stripling, kinesiology, track; Whitney Sylvan, communication, golf; Brooke Upshaw, nutrition, track-cross country; Tanica Van As, communication, golf; Brittney Vaughn, journalism, basketball; Miranda Walker, nursing, track-cross country; Abbey Wilburn, accounting, soccer.

WOMEN’S ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT HONOR ROLL (3.00-3.49); Whitney Allison, political science, soccer; Peter-Gaye Beckford, kinesiology, track; Whitney Cloer, kinesiology, softball; Samantha Cortez, psychology, gymnastics; Amara DeFilippo, kinesiology, gymnastics; Cassie Drew, English, gymnastics; Elizabeth Engs, biology, swimming; Megan Fawley, elementary education, soccer; Brandy Foust, biology, softball; Catherine Fowler, international business, volleyball; Erin Gray, biology, track-cross country; Katie Hamilton, marketing, soccer; Jennifer Harper, kinesiology, track-cross country; Alison Harter, apparel studies, soccer; Melissa Hoffmeister, liberal arts, tennis; Leslie Howard, psychology, basketball; Teighynne Hulsey, biology, softball; Kristin Ingram, recreation, golf; Stephanie Irwin, kinesiology, track; Summer Jackson, political science, swimming; Kayla Johnson, psychology, softball; Brieanne Kushner, human development, diving; Christina Lawrence, animal science, volleyball; Rachel LeMaster, nursing, softball; Casey Jo Magee, kinesiology, gymnastics; Michelle Martin, nursing, track; Ashley McPherson, accounting, gymnastics; Hannah Mertz, accounting, swimming; Kylee Mesler, kinesiology, soccer; Kelsey Mollenkamp, accounting, track; Jocelyne Moncrief, communications, softball; Sarah Nagashima, apparel studies, gymnastics; Dani Parry, elementary education, track-cross country; Lindsay Patterson, kinesiology, soccer; Kendra Roberts, health science, basketball; Brittany Robison, kinesiology, softball; Sasha Rolle, kinesiology, track; Megan Scott, sociology, track; Rachel Smith, business, soccer; Sandra Smith, kinesiology, softball; Michelle Stout, marketing, gymnastics; Jodi Unger, kinesiology, track; Kelly Vrshek, nursing, track-cross country; Jessica Waddle, kinesiology, softball; Dominique Washington, sociology, basketball; Macey Webb, kinesiology, swimming; Sophie Wentz, communication disorders, soccer.