July 7, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2006 All-ACC Academic Men's & Women's Track & Field team announced Friday by Commissioner John D. Swofford. All 12 league schools competing in indoor and outdoor track and field are represented on the inaugural team. This year's team is comprised of 23 ACC champions, 19 All-Americans, six individual national champions and one Rhodes Scholar.

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.

Florida State's Garrett Johnson heads this year's academic team becoming the ACC's first Rhodes Scholar Athlete in 19 years. Johnson becomes the 19th Rhodes Scholar athlete produced by an ACC school since 1903 and the eighth track and field stand out to be honored with this prestigious academic award. The senior public administration major had a decorative year capturing both the NCAA and ACC indoor and outdoor shot put titles. Joining Johnson as an All-American on this year's squad are teammates Thomas Lancashire and Andrew Lemoncello, all of which played a key role in the Seminoles winning the school's and the league's first men's outdoor track and field national championship.

Florida State and Virginia Tech led all schools with six honorees on the men's academic squad. The Hokies were led by All-Americans Brian Mondschein and Mateji Muza. Mondschein captured the NCAA East Regional and ACC outdoor pole vault titles, while Muza was a top six finisher at both the regional and national championship meets in the men's hammer throw. Muza joined Maryland's Devin Regan as the only two freshman representatives on the academic team.

Four individual national champions highlight the women's squad including Miami's Tabia Charles (outdoor triple jump), Florida State's Lacy Janson (outdoor pole vault), North Carolina's Sheena Gordon (indoor high jump) and fellow teammate Georgia Kloss (indoor distance medley relay).

Charles, an All-American in both the women's triple and long jump competitions, claimed the outdoor titles in both events at this year's league championship, while winning the indoor ACC triple jump title back in February. Gordon captured the women's high jump indoor national title after clearing 6' 1.25" on her first attempt in a jump off with Georgia's Levern Spencer. The senior jumper then concluded her collegiate career with a second place finish at the outdoor national championships. Janson won her second pole vault national title, first outdoor championship, vaulting 13' 11.25". The senior dietetics major holds both the indoor and outdoor pole vault records in the ACC. Kloss ran the third leg of the women's distance medley relay to help the Tar Heels to the national title. It was the second win for UNC in the DMR in the last four years.

Virginia Tech led all schools on the women's side with seven honorees including All-American and ACC heptathlon champion Saskia Triesscheijn. Joining Triesscheijn are teammates Guni Kreb, ACC indoor pentathlon champion, and All-American hammer thrower Kristen Callan. The Duke Blue Devils followed with six student-athletes on this year's inaugural squad. Highlighting the Blue Devil honorees are All-Americans Clara Horowitz, Laura Stanley and Sally Meyerhoff. Both Horowitz and Stanley captured league individual indoor titles in the 3K and 5K, respectively. ACC Outdoor high jump champion Debra Vento also made the team.

In addition, Georgia Tech's Brandy Depland and Ashlee Kidd, Maryland's Lynn Hernandez, Miami's Brenda Faluade, NC State's Jemissa Hess and Wake Forest's Michelle Sikes were named All-Americans.

The 2006 All-ACC Academic Track & Field team is as follows:

2006 All-ACC Academic Track & Field Team

Men's Track & Field Team

Women's Track & Field Team