Wingate’s Atkinson, Newberry’s Marquardt Named To Academic All-America Team

TOWSON, MD. -- Wingate University senior point guard Anna Atkinson and Newberry College guard Laura Marquardt have been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announces the basketball teams each February.

The Academic All-America® Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000-member organization of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at 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 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.

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.

Anna Atkinson, Wingate University

Atkinson (Marion, N.C.), is a Biology major with a pre-dental specialization. She sports a perfect 4.00 GPA. In 2007-08, Atkinson and her teammates won the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament and the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament on the way to the school's third appearance in the Elite Eight. Atkinson was the MVP for both the conference and regional tournament last year.

The recipient of the 2007-08 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, Atkinson made history as the first SAC student-athlete to be honored with the national CCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. Previously, Atkinson received regional honors from the CCA organization.

Atkinson earned the 2008 South Atlantic Conference Female Athlete of the Year Award and the 2008 SAC Presidents' Award, presented to the conference's top female scholar-athlete. She is only the third person in conference history to win both of the league's prestigious post-season awards. Atkinson was the 2007-08 SAC Player of the Year and SAC Scholar-Athlete Award winner for women's basketball.

The SAC double-double was not Atkinson's only academic and athletic double-double last year. In addition to her ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® first team laurels, she was a third team Daktronics All-American in 2008. Atkinson was one of only three NCAA Division II women's basketball student-athletes to earn All-America honors on the court and in the classroom last year.

This year, Atkinson leads the NCAA Division II assist-to-turnover ratio (3.48). She is listed in the NCAA Division II top 20 in assists per game (third, 6.7) and steals per game (17th, 3.4). She leads the SAC in these three categories. The McDowell High School graduate is tied for third in the SAC in scoring (16.0 points per game).

Laura Marquardt, Newberry College

A three-year starter at guard, Marquardt is a Business Administration major with a perfect 4.00 grade point average. The leading scorer at Newberry College, she is averaging 16.0 points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field.

A native of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., she is also averaging 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. An outstanding long-range shooter, she broke the school record for three-point baskets in a season (62). Marquardt helped Newberry win back-to-back South Atlantic Conference Tournament championships as a freshman and sophomore.

Off the court, Marquardt has been a leader in the Newberry community. Over the last three years she has participated in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and the Leadership Council. Marquardt has also volunteered with the Make A Wish Foundation and Mary's Race, benefiting children with cancer.

Marquardt goes down in history as only the fourth CoSIDA Academic All-American in the history of Newberry College. She is also the second athlete to receive first team honors, joining Katey Satcher who received the honor in 2002.

2009 ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA®
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAMS (COLLEGE DIVISION)

First Team
Name School Cl. Hometown GPA/Major
Anna Atkinson (1) Wingate Sr. Marion, N.C. 4.00/ Biology
Emily Brister (1) West Texas A&M Sr. Amarillo, Texas 3.91/ Education
Julia Hirssig Wisconsin-Stout Jr. Rochester, Minn. 3.95/ Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Mgmt.
Laura Marquardt Newberry Sr. Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 4.00/ Business Administration
Megan Scheele (2) Edgewood Sr. New Glarus, Wis. 3.92/ Elementary Education

Second Team
Name School Cl. Hometown GPA/Major
Haylee Allen Hardin-Simmons Jr. Buffalo Gap, Tex. 4.00/ Education
Jaclyn Armstrong Lake Superior St. Sr. Haslett, Mich. 3.94/ Exercise Science
Melanie Auguste Colorado College Sr. Cameron Park,Cal. 3.74/ Economics
LeighAnn Burke DeSales Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. 3.88/ Mathematics, Secondary Education
Jessica Keller Quincy Sr. Belle, Mo. 3.94/ Accounting
Krista Prato Matthews Trinity (Tex.) Sr. Davis, Cal. 3.82/ Biology

Third Team
Name School Cl. Hometown GPA/Major
Alira Carpenter Montana St.-Bill. Sr. Lewistown, Mont. 3.57/ Molecular Biology
Nicole Hayman Chapman Sr. Anaheim Hills, Cal. 3.99/ Legal Studies
Jessica Romano Philadelphia Jr. Horsham, Pa. 3.94/ Finance
Bridget Yoerger South Dakota Sr. Hinton, Iowa 3.82/ Recreation Mgmt., Health Promotion
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR: Emily Brister, West Texas A&M

(1) ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America ® 1st team in 2007-08
(2) ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America ® 2nd team in 2007-08