June 26, 2003
DAVIS, Calif. -
UC Davis swimmer Matt Davie, tennis standout Greg Lee, softball pitcher Susan Churchwell, and cross country and track senior Sopagna Eap, have each been named Verizon Academic All-Americans, it was announced recently.
Student-athletes with at least sophomore standing and a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, are eligible for the award, which is voted by sports information directors. The four Aggies were each honored on the District VIII first team before advancing to the national ballot.
Davie was named to the College Division At-Large first team, while Lee was selected to the second team. Churchwell earned on the college division softball second team and Eap was honored on the college division cross country/track third team. Davie, Lee and Churchwell are repeat Academic All-America honorees.
Davie, a senior from nearby El Dorado Hills who carried a 3.62 GPA in civil engineering, is a three-time Academic All-American. He earned 17 All-America honors with the Aggie men's swimming and diving team, including six this past season. Davie was recognized earlier in June as co-winner of UC Davis' W.P. Lindley Award for scholastic and athletic achievement, and leadership. He received a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship earlier this spring and will continue his studies at Stanford in the fall.
Lee, a senior from Piedmont, was honored as Verizon Academic All-American for the second straight year after earning first-team recognition as a junior. Lee graduated in June with a 3.59 GPA in computer science. He was honored as winner of the university's Colby E. "Babe" Slater Awards as the Aggies' top male athlete for 2002-03 after earning All-America honors in both singles and doubles for UC Davis' mens' tennis team.
Churchwell graduated earlier this month after earning a 3.88 GPA in economics. Honored last year as winner of the W.P. Lindley Award, Churchwell enjoyed a tremendous senior season after earning first-team All-America honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and helping to lead the Aggies to their first-ever NCAA Division II Championship. She finished her senior season with 16 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .406 batting averaged. Churchwell culminated her final year by being named the Most Outstanding Player at the national championships. She is on several career lists for UC Davis softball. She was also named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Eap, a senior from San Francisco, carried a 3.77 GPA in psychology and also graduated this month. She earned All-America honors in May at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships in Edwardsville, Ill., after placing fourth in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter competitions. She is also a three-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honoree in cross country and twice earned All-Region accolades.
