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Eight Illini Garner Scholastic All-America Honors
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Senior Nicole Cowart was one of eight Illini honored as Scholastic All-Americans by the NACGC/W.
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July 20, 2010
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) announced the 2010 Scholastic All-America award winners and eight Illini gymnasts were honored for their outstanding academic performances this year. Seniors Nicole Cowart and Sarah Schmidt, juniors Allison Buckley, Melissa Fernandez and Samantha Perino, sophomore Kelsey Joannides, freshman Elise Gill and student manager Lori Hamilton earned this achievement as a result of GPAs of 3.5 or better for the year. The eight laurels for the Illini tied the most in program history, which also was achieved in 2004.
Fernandez picked up the honor for the third year in a row as a kinesiology major with a 3.82 GPA, while Buckley, a kinesiology major with a 3.71 GPA, Hamilton, an accountancy major with a 3.58 GPA, and Perino, a psychology major with a 3.63 GPA, collected the accolade for the second-straight year.
Schmidt made the cut in her final year with a 3.67 GPA in her kinesiology coursework along with Cowart, who wrapped up the year with a 3.73 GPA as an accountancy major. Two other Illini took home the award for the first time, as Gill notched a 3.70 GPA as a freshman in general curriculum and Joannides recorded a 3.50 GPA as a business major. A total of 67 student-athletes tallied 4.0 GPAs for the 2010 academic year and 509 earned Scholastic All-America status.
Southern Utah University won the National Academic Team Championship with a 3.8923 composite team GPA, while the Illini were ranked 21st on the list with a team GPA of 3.3961, up six spots from a season ago. Illinois ranked third best in the Big Ten behind only Michigan State (fifth) and Michigan (12th).
