CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Eleven America East student-athletes have been selected to the 2009 Field Hockey All-Academic Team, which was released by the conference office this afternoon. These student athletes, who excel both academically as well as athletically, represent the best of the America East Conference.
Two individual award-winners are among the 11 members of the team, as Boston University junior Allie Dolce was recognized as the Midfielder of the Year, while University of Vermont graduate student Kristen Heavens was tabbed the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Joining them on the all-academic team are University at Albany’s Sarah Deane and Jess Lindsey, Fairfield University’s Carly McCullough, University of Maine’s Brittney Cummings and Maire Dineen, University of New Hampshire’s Cally Cooke and Katherine Nagengast, and Vermont’s Megan Maynard and Chelsea Stevenson.
Cooke and Maynard were both unanimous selections, while six of the members are also repeat picks. The Catamounts had the most student-athletes honored with three. Every America East field hockey program had at least one student-athlete honored.
For the second consecutive year, Black Bear Maire Dineen was the team member with the highest grade-point-average. The junior International Affairs and Economics double major carries a 3.94 GPA.
The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Directors meeting where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, who excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field.
For the second straight year, America East will select the All-Academic teams using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.
All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., 11 on the field for field hockey) but can be more if there is a tie in voting. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
2009 America East Field Hockey All-Academic Team
Name Cl. School Hometown/High School GPA Major
Cally Cooke* Sr. New Hampshire Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport 3.69 Business Administration/Management
Brittney Cummings Jr. Maine Belfast, Maine/Belfast 3.60 Childhood Development and Family Relations
Sarah Deane Jr. Albany Orefield, Pa./Parkland 3.86 Psychology
Maire Dineen Jr. Maine Toronto, Ontario/Michael Power/St. Joseph 3.94 International Affairs/Economics
Allie Dolce Jr. Boston U. Jamestown, R.I./North Kingstown 3.36 Human Physiology
Kristen Heavens Gr. Vermont Harwinton, Conn./Lewis Mills 3.57 Physical Education/Master’s of Education
Jess Lindsey Sr. Albany Norristown, Pa./Methacton 3.43 Psychology
Megan Maynard* Gr. Vermont Waterbury Center, Vt./Harwood 3.90 Elementary Education/Master’s of Education
Carly McCullough Sr. Fairfield Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury 3.59 Biology
Katherine Nagengast So. New Hampshire Westborough, Mass./Westborough 3.62 Pedagogy
Chelsea Stevenson Sr. Vermont Crosswicks, N.J./Northern Burlington 3.86 Mechanical Engineering
* Unanimous selection