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Three MWC Student-Athletes Named to Academic All-America Track & Field and Cross Country Teams
June 24, 2009 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Three Mountain West Conference student-athletes were named to the 2008-09 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Track & Field and Cross Country University Division first teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) last week. Seniors Lauren Endersen of Utah and Karoline Koehler of San Diego State represent the MWC on the women's side, while Colorado State senior Alex Godell received honors on the men's side. Endersen graduated this past May with a 4.00 grade point average and an undergraduate degree in biology following a standout distance career for the Utes. A Presidential Scholar, she finished as the runner-up in the 5,000-meter run (18:28.04) and took eighth-place overall in the 3,000-meter run at the 2009 MWC Indoor Championships with a life-time best performance of 10:01.57. At this season's MWC Outdoor Championships, the West Jordan, Utah, native took fifth in the 10,000-meter run (39:02.17) and earned four points for Utah, while also placing seventh overall in the 5,000-meter (18:26.38). A three-time MWC Academic All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete award recipient, Endersen was a 2007-08 third-team Academic All-America selection. She scored in the 99.4 percentile on the MCAT with a 39 on her first attempt, and plans to enroll at the Ohio State University's Medical School in the fall. An international economics major with a 3.82 grade point average, Koehler was named the 2009 MWC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year earlier this month. The Erfurt, Germany, native finished as the NCAA Division I runner-up in the long jump after incurring a knee injury that prevented her from continuing past her third jump. Her 21'-5.50" (6.54m) effort was still good enough for third-place all-time in the MWC record book. Two days later, Koehler went on to claim her second All-America certificate of the outdoor season with a sixth-place finish in the triple jump. Her leap of 44'-0.75" (13.43m) also ranks third all-time in the MWC and both performances were league season-bests. Koehler also competed in the 100-meter dash and was part of the Aztecs' national-qualifying 4x100 relay team. Prior to the national meet, she won the triple jump with a personal- and meet-record performance (44'-9.00" [13.64m]) at the NCAA West Regional and was runner-up in the long jump (21'-9.50" [6.64m]). Koehler earned the 2009 MWC Women's Outdoor High Point Award after securing titles in the long jump and triple jump events at the MWC Outdoor Championship, while also finishing third and sixth in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, respectively, and running a leg on the third-place Aztec 4x100-meter relay team. In addition to being named a 2007-08 second-team Academic All-American, Koehler is a three-time MWC Academic All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete award recipient. Godell, a Rams thrower from Centennial, Colo., recently completed his degree in economics at Colorado State with a 3.94 grade point average. He is a four-time MWC Academic All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete award recipient and was a third-team Academic All-America honoree in 2007-08. In addition, Godell was the recipient of the 2007 Merril Gheen and 2008 Dick Kitamura scholarships. Godell recently appeared in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships competing in the hammer throw. He earned his spot at the meet after a third-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet and after having captured his third-straight MWC hammer throw title. Godell placed 13th in the hammer throw at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet earlier this year and had an outdoor league season-best toss of 221'-0.00" (67.37m), which is the ninth-farthest throw in the nation this year. The 15 members of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women's Track & Field and Cross Country University Division first team have a combined grade point average of 3.86, while the men's team has a cumulative grade point average of 3.83. To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 on scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his or her current institution and be nominated by his or 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 championships sports.
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