Sports News: Spring 2002

Thursday, May 23, 2002

BOYLE, SHERTZER, WAGNER & WOLFSBERGER NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Seniors Erin Boyle (Philadelphia, PA/Nazareth Academy HS), Emily Shertzer (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin HS), and Heidi Wolfsberger (Moosic, PA/Riverside HS) have been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District II College Division Women's Track & Field/Cross Country First Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America while junior Jennifer Wagner (Riegelsville, PA/Wilson HS) earned a spot on the Second Team.

By making the All-District First Team, Boyle, Shertzer and Wolfsberger are now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for Verizon Academic All-American® accolades, which will be announced on Thursday, June 20th.

To be eligible for Verizon Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior; and be a starter or significant reserve. The College Division is made up of all the NCAA Division II and III schools in the nation as well as all NAIA schools. Student-athletes from NCAA Division I schools are named to the University Division Teams. District II is made up of schools from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

This year marks the 50th year of the Academic All-America program, as the inaugural team was announced on December 6, 1952. Since that time, more than 12,000 students have been named Academic All-America team members at colleges and universities at all levels for every recognized NCAA sport. The 22 members of the original team, which included football players only, will be honored with a series of events throughout the current academic year. The program's popularity resulted in a significant expansion for the current academic year, as 816 student-athletes --- a 19 percent increase over the previous highest number -- will be selected to 12 different Academic All-America teams during the 2001-02 academic season. 2001-02 marks the first year for the track & field/cross country program as both sports used to be included in the at-large program.

Boyle finished third at Middle Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championships last fall, and she was fifth at NCAA Division III Mideast Regional and 83rd at NCAA National Championships, where the Moravian team placed third. Boyle was a MAC Indoor Champion in distance medley relay in conference record time, and she was an All-American in distance medley relay with an eighth place finish at the national championships. Boyle was the MAC Runner-up in 1,500 meters and sixth in 800 meters at 2002 MAC Outdoor Championships. She is a two-time All-American in track & field and has won two MAC Individual T&F Championships. Boyle has competed at NCAA Championships six times (three in cross country and three in track & field), and she has been named to the MAC All-Academic team nine times.

Shertzer placed second at MAC Cross Country Championships, and she was third at NCAA Division III Mideast Regional and 27th at NCAA Championships. Shertzer won the 2002 Indoor MAC Championships in 5,000 meters and distance medley relay, and she captured the 2002 MAC Outdoor Championships in 10,000 meters (the fourth title of her career in the event) and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Shertzer is a Two-time All-American in cross country, and she was an All-American once in track & field.  he has won 16 MAC Individual track & field titles, and the team has won 12 MAC titles (four each in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field). Shertzer, who was a MAC All-Academic Team honoree nine times, has been invited to train for 2004 Olympics in military pentathlon (cross country, equestrian, swimming, shooting & fencing).

Wolfsberger, who was named the Moravian Senior Female Athlete Award winner last week, is one of the most prolific student-athletes in Moravian history. She is a three time MAC Cross Country Champion, a two-time NCAA Division III Mideast Region Champion and a three-time All-American in cross country, twice finishing as the runner-up at the national championships. On the track, Wolfsberger won the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship in the 1,500 meters at the indoor meet, and she has been an All-American seven times in her career, including a runner-up finish in the outdoor 1,500 meters in 2000. Wolfsberger< won 18 MAC individual and relay championships over four years, and she was named the Most Outstanding Performer four times, twice indoors and twice outdoors. Wolfsberger was named to the MAC All-Academic Team nine times in her career, and she is a two-time Verizon First Team Academic All-American.

All three athletes will be competing in the NCAA Division III Track & Field National Championships this weekend at Macalester College with Boyle and Wolfsberger competing in the 1,500-meter trials on Thursday and Shertzer participating in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday.

Wagner finished 12th at MAC Cross Country Championships last fall, and she was 28th at NCAA Division III Mideast Regional and 166th at NCAA Championships. Wagner was the 2002 MAC Indoor Champion in distance medley relay and an All-American in distance medley relay with an eighth place finish at the national championships. Wagner is a two-time All-American in track & field, and she has won two MAC Individual track & field championships as part of relays. Wagner has competed at National Championships four times, two times in cross country and twice in indoor track & field, and she has been on the MAC All-Academic Team six times.

Boyle, Shertzer and Wolfsberger will now try to become the 23rd, 24th and 25th Verizon Academic All-Americans in Moravian history and the 18th, 19th and 20th in the last nine years. Moravian currently has seven student-athletes eligible for Verizon Academic All-America honors.