Three named academic All-Americans

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Three members of the Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field team were named to the various CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams, it was released on Thursday.

Junior Katie Stripling led the honorees with a spot on the first team. Stripling holds a GPA of 3.94 as a kinesiology major. She is a three-time SEC pole vault champion and a three-time All-American, most recently at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Stripling, a native of Jonesboro, Ark., was also named the SEC Co-Field Athlete of the Year for the 2009 outdoor season.

Stripling’s winning clearance of 14-5.25 at the SEC Championships is a season and personal best, an SEC Outdoor meet record and the Arkansas school record. She broke the SEC meet record by 6.25 inches. She broke the Arkansas school record twice during the 2009 outdoor season and has raised the Arkansas school record by 3.25 inches since 2008.

Sophomore pole vaulter Tara Diebold was named to the second team. A communications disorders major, she has a GPA of 4.00 and was named to the Arkansas Chancellor’s List earlier this month. The Branson, Mo. native is a 2009 NCAA Indoor All-American, was the 2009 SEC Indoor runner-up in the pole vault and is a three-time All-SEC honoree. She is also a three-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier.

Senior Denise Bargiachi earned third-team honors with a 3.73 GPA as a journalism major. Bargiachi is a three-time All-American, most recently at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the 2008 SEC Indoor Champion at 5,000 meters and a four-time All-SEC honoree. She is also a five-time NCAA qualifier.

All three earned CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors earlier this month in order to be nominated for Academic All-America accolades.

For more information on Arkansas Athletics, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.