March 29, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State's women's swimming and diving team picked up three first-team honors, two second-team honors and four honorable mentions when the Pac-10 Conference announced its All-Academic women's swimming and diving teams, Friday.
Sun Devils earning first-team recognition were sophomore Miranda Shald, senior Amanda Stanford and junior Elizabeth Lightner.
Shald recently earned All-America honors in the pool for the second time, placing 11th in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Championships while improving her school record time to 54.47. A pre-business major from Omaha, Neb., she has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Stanford (Oakland, Calif.), who capped off her outstanding senior season by placing 17th in the 1650y freestyle at the NCAA Championships, will graduate with a 3.65 GPA in conservation biology. She is ranked fourth in school history in the 500y free (4:47.18), seventh in the 200y free (1:48.76) and 1650y free (16:29.67) and ninth in the 1000y free (10:00.80). This is the second season in a row she has been named to the Pac-10's all-academic first team. In 2000, she received honorable mention recognition.
Lightner, a junior from Tucson, Ariz., carries a 3.90 GPA in psychology. This season she improved her career bests in the 100y and 200y butterfly events to 59.87 and 2:06.21, respectively.
Picking up second team honors for the Sun Devils were senior diver Natalie Burgess and sophomore swimmer Brooke Townsend.
Burgess, of Phoenix, Ariz., is the ASU school record holder in the 1-meter springboard, 6-dive optionals and the 3-meter springboard, 6-dive format. Majoring in communications, she has a GPA of 3.55.
Townsend, who recently picked up second-team All-America honors placing 14th in the 1650y free at the NCAA Championships is ranked second in school history in that event and is record-holder in the 500y free (4:45.09). A native of Australia, she has a 3.46 GPA in elementary education.
Honorable mention recognition went to junior Claire Hedenskog (recreation & tourism major, 3.05 GPA), senior Riley Mants (elementary education, 3.34), sophomore Brianna Patterson (recreation & tourism, 3.37) and sophomore Jessica Stenson (elementary education, 3.0).