27 Lady'Backs post perfect grades; over 100 on honor roll

FAYETTEVILLE – Led by all-Americans like Southeastern Conference cross country champion Brooke Upshaw, the University of Arkansas had 27 members of Lady Razorback teams with perfect 4.00 grades on the Fall 2006 Women’s Athletics Department’s Academic Excellence Honor Roll.

Almost 60% of the entire athletic department was part of the honor roll, with 103 Lady Razorback athletes earning grades for the semester that were 3.00 or above. As a department, the 11 Lady Razorback squads posted an aggregate 3.20 GPA.

Cross country and track and field had the most athletes with perfect grades as Upshaw, a food, human nutrition and hospitality major, led nine total selections for the nationally-ranked Lady Razorback squads coached by Lance Harter. Along with Upshaw, Lady’Back track had 4.00 performances from Denise Bargiachi, Jennifer Fall, Megan Jackson, Caroline Payton, Angela Scott, Katie Stripling, Megan Scott and Maureen Scott.

Soccer’s Allison Harris was a third-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American leading the five soccer athletes among the Academic Champions.

The co-captains of the record-setting and nationally ranked women’s basketball team were also on the 4.00 list. Both Sarah Pfeifer, a mid-term graduate in industrial engineering, and Brittney Vaughn, a junior broadcast journalism major, are nominated for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America.

Gymnastics had three on the list with Rachel Barnett, Allison Daniels and Alexandra LaChance. The Gym’Backs are also currently ranked 14th in the nation. Kristin Thibodeaux, Katie McGraw and Allison Chinn gave swimming and diving three on the Academic Champions list.

The nationally-ranked tennis team placed three among the Academic Champions – Nanar Airapetian, Ela Kaluder and Aurelija Misevicuite – and had all but one team member on the overall honor roll.

Softball’s Jessica Bachkora and Hillary Freeman rounded our the 27 with perfect grades.

Among the notable athletes on the Fall 2006 honor roll were GolfWeek’s selection as the amateur golfer of the year, Stacy Lewis; and honorable mention AVCA All-America volleyball player Denitza Koleva.

Established in 1989, the Academic Excellence program recognizes all Lady Razorback athletes for outstanding semester grades. Lady’Backs with perfect grades are deemed Academic Champions. Those with grades ranging from 3.50 to 3.99 for the semester are named to the Women’s Athletic Director’s List, while those with grades from 3.00 to 3.49 are members of the Women’s Athletics Department Honor Roll.

Here are the members of the Fall 2006 Academic Excellence Honor Roll:

Academic Champions (4.00 GPA)

Sarah Pfeifer, basketball, Industrial Engineering; Brittney Vaughn, basketball, broadcast journalism; Rachel Barnett, gymnastics, kinesiology; Allison Daniels, gymnastics, undeclared; Alexandra LaChance, gymnastics, English; Jackie Booker, soccer, kinesiology exercise science; Christina Burger, soccer, marketing; Devon Burger, soccer, biology; Allison Harris, soccer, psychology; Kate Venable, soccer, criminal justice; Jessica Bachkora, softball, marketing; Hillary Freeman, softball, communications; Allison Chinn, swimming & diving, biology; Katie McGraw, swimming & diving, journalism; Kristen Thibodeaux, swimming & diving, marketing; Nanar Airapetian, tennis, international business Ela Kaluder, tennis, kinesiology exercise science; Aurelija Misevicuite, tennis, business economics; Denise Bargiachi, cross country-track & field, undeclared; Jennifer Fall, cross country-track & field, health science; Megan Jackson, cross country-track & field, undeclared; Caroline Peyton, cross country-track & field, English; Angela Scott, cross country-track & field, general business; Katie Stripling, cross country-track & field, kinesiology exercise science; Brooke Upshaw, cross country-track & field, food, human nutrition and hospitality; Megan Scott, cross country-track & field, criminal justice; Maureen Scott, cross country-track & field, kinesiology exercise science.

WOMEN’S Athletic Director’s List (3.5-3.99)

Stacy Lewis, golf, finance; Tiffany Phelps, golf, international business; Corinna Rees, golf, undeclared; Emily Peacock, gymnastics, journalism advertising; Carrie Dillsaver, soccer, nursing; Sarah Finn, soccer, general business; Kat Moffett, soccer, broadcast journalism; Kathleen Paulsen, soccer, undeclared; Rachel Smith, soccer, general business; Katie Somadelis, soccer, marketing; Katherine Stauffer, soccer, psychology; Abbey Wilburn, soccer, general business; Carrie Egnor, softball, communication disorders; Rachel LeMaster, softball, nursing; Jocelyn Moncreif, softball, undeclared; Jess Reed, softball, poultry science; Stephanie Carr, swimming & diving, journalism advertising; Emily Gregory, swimming & diving, mathematics; Victoria Kennedy, swimming & diving, undeclared; Dashya Kimmel, swimming & diving, undeclared; Hannah Mertz, swimming & diving, accounting; Madison Palmer, swimming & diving, history; Carly Dixon, tennis, undeclared; Melissa Hoffmeister, tennis, undeclared; Rachel Wilhelm, tennis, journalism advertising; Carly Bloomfield, track & field, animal science; Courtenay Brown, track & field, kinesiology exercise science; Beth Fahey, cross country-track & field, kinesiology; Erin Gray, cross country-track & field, biology; Rebecca Kerr, cross country-track & field, chemistry; Tiffany Redlarczyk, cross country-track & field, kinesiology K-12; Sasha Rolle, track & field, kinesiology K-12; Michelle Rossio, track & field, biology; Jodi Unger, cross country-track & field, kinesiology K-12; Kelly Vrshek, cross country-track & field, nursing; Miranda Walker, cross country-track & field, undeclared; Kele Brewer, volleyball, kinesiology K-12; Destiny Clark, volleyball, kinesiology exercise science; Kelly Cole, volleyball, English; Caira Daugherty, volleyball, psychology; Jessica Dorrell, volleyball, marketing; Denitza Koleva, volleyball, kinesiology exercise science; Ashley Miller, volleyball, health science; Kristin Seaton; volleyball, kinesiology K-12.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT Honor Roll (3.0-3.49)

Leslie Howard, basketball, psychology; Lucy Nunn, golf, kinesiology exercise science; Tanica Van As, golf, marketing; Samantha Cortez, gymnastics, psychology; Cassie Drew, gymnastics, English; Sarah Nagashima, gymnastics, , apparel studies; Michelle Stout, gymnastics, marketing; Sarah Gwisdala, soccer, marketing; Allison Harter, soccer, apparel studies; Kylee Mesler, soccer, kinesiology exercise science; Kim Schleif, soccer, chemistry; Whitney Cloer, softball, kinesiology exercise science; Brandy Foust, softball, biology; Katy Henry, softball, English; Dayna Huckabee, softball, health science; Kayla Johnson, softball, undeclared; Sandra Smith, softball, kinesiology K-12; Jessica Waddle, softball, kinesiology exercise science; Emily Fletcher, swimming & diving, general business; Mariann Fulop, swimming & diving, recreation; Audrey Bordeleau, tennis, finance; Dacia Barr, cross country-track & field, information systems; Paige Farrell, track & field, kinesiology K-12; Jennifer Harper, cross country-track & field, undeclared; Brooke Higgs, cross country-track & field, childhood education; Stephanie Irwin, track & field, kinesiology K-12; Michelle Martin, track & field, nursing; Kelsey Mollenkamp, cross country-track & field, accounting; Dani Parry, cross country-track & field, health science; Megan Thompson, cross country-track & field, journalism advertising; Amy Allison, volleyball, kinesiology exercise science; Catherine Fowler, volleyball, international business.

— LADY RAZORBACKS —