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March 28, 2012
PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Forty-seven University of Illinois student-athletes earned winter Academic All-Big Ten honors, the conference office announced Wednesday. The list includes Illini men's and women's basketball, men's and women's gymnastics, women's swimming and diving, and wrestling student-athletes who are in at least their second academic year at Illinois and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better. Twenty-two Illini women's swimmers and divers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, along with seven men's gymnasts, seven women's gymnasts, six wrestlers, three women's basketball players and two men's basketball players.
Among Illinois' honorees were All-American wrestler B.J. Futrell, Big Ten balance beam champion Kelsey Joannides and All-Big Ten women's gymnasts Joannides, Amber See and Alina Weinstein. Men's basketball player Brandon Paul earned second-team all-district honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and third-team All-Big Ten honors, while teammate Meyers Leonard was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.
The conference office also awards Academic All-Big Ten distinction in the fall and spring seasons, and will present the Distinguished Scholar Award at the end of the academic year. After 44 Illini were named Academic All-Big Ten in the fall, Illinois now has 91 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.
Student-athletes eligible for the Distinguished Scholar Award must be letterwinners in at least their second year at their institution. Qualifying student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school. The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award was established by conference Faculty Representatives as an addition to the conference's Academic All-Big Ten program.
The complete listing of Illinois' 2012 winter sports Academic All-Big Ten honorees is attached.
University of Illinois Winter 2012 Academic All-Big Ten Honorees
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Meyers Leonard, Illinois So. Sport Management Robinson, Ill.
Brandon Paul, Illinois Jr. Sport Management Gurnee, Ill.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Macie Blinn, Illinois Sr. Recreation Management Greenville, Ohio
Kersten Magrum, Illinois Jr. Psychology Mokena, Ill.
Lana Rukavina, Illinois Sr. Psychology Wheeling, Ill.
MEN'S GYMNASTICS
Kyle Moe, Illinois Sr. Agribusiness, Markets & Management Champaign, Ill.
Yoshi Mori, Illinois Jr. Sport Management Irvine, Calif.
Cameron Rogers, Illinois So. Bioengineering Charlotte, N.C.
Anthony Sacramento, Illinois Sr. Kinesiology Libertyville, Ill.
Cole Smith, Illinois So. Sociology Santa Rosa, Calif.
Jordan Valdez, Illinois So. Kinesiology Louisville, Colo.
Alex Varga, Illinois So. Business Glen Ellyn, Ill.
WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS
Sarah Fiedler, Illinois So. Business Lake Zurich, Ill.
Elise Gill, Illinois Jr. Industrial Engineering Afton, Minn.
Kelsey Joannides, Illinois Sr. Business Frederick, Md.
Jaclyn Kantecki, Illinois Jr. Psychology Bridgeview, Ill.
Amber See, Illinois So. News-Editorial Journalism Minnetonka, Minn.
Alina Weinstein, Illinois Jr. Communication Plainsboro, N.J.
Hannah Welker, Illinois Sr. Broadcast Journalism Butler, Pa.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
Tessa Adams, Illinois Jr. Communication Plainwell, Mich.
Cara Chuang, Illinois So. Bioengineering Clarksburg, Md.
Sarah Coady, Illinois Jr. Mechanical Engineering Hinsdale, Ill.
Keri Eberhardt, Illinois Jr. Integrative Biology Tinley Park, Ill.
Anne Goering, Illinois So. Mechanical Engineering Fairbanks, Alaska
Rachel Japp Joyce, Illinois Sr. Kinesiology Mokena, Ill.
Kimberly Kalenda, Illinois Jr. Finance Cary, Ill.
Kathleen Knight, Illinois Jr. Advertising Normal, Ill.
Kelly Kunkel, Illinois Sr. Elementary Education/Math Omaha, Neb.
Erin Lamb, Illinois Jr. Kinesiology Naperville, Ill.
Torrey Loper, Illinois Sr. Marketing Scottsdale, Ariz.
Erica Lynn, Illinois So. English Swansea, Ill.
Kristen Manias, Illinois Sr. Advertising Lakeville, Minn.
Darragh McDermott, Illinois Jr. English Mokena, Ill.
Brittany McGowan, Illinois Sr. Kinesiology Beverly Hills, Mich.
April McKee, Illinois Sr. Elementary Education/Math Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Michelle Mehnert, Illinois Sr. Civil Engineering Champaign, Ill.
Alyssa Petruzzello, Illinois Jr. English Champaign, Ill.
Courtney Pope, Illinois So. Business Homer Glen, Ill.
Marin Thompson, Illinois So. Economics Jackson, Wis.
Alyssa Toland, Illinois So. i-Health Mokena, Ill.
Emily Wilkinson, Illinois So. Elementary Education Westmont, Ill.
Emma Williams, Illinois So. Speech and Hearing Science Naperville, Ill.
WRESTLING
Adam Acheson, Illinois So. Kinesiology Champaign, Ill.
B.J. Futrell, Illinois Sr. Kinesiology Park Forest, Ill.
Matt McCarter, Illinois Sr. History Batavia, Ill.
Conrad Polz, Illinois Sr. Kinesiology Orland Park, Ill.
Martin Smith, Illinois Sr. History Quincy, Ill.
Eric Terrazas, Illinois Sr. Sport Management Wheaton, Ill.
