Seven University of Albany Indoor Track and Field Student-Athletes Garner America East All-Academic Honors - UAlbany Sports 2009

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – University at Albany’s Laura Cummings and Zuliana Fontanez headlined a list of a league-best seven Great Danes who were named to the America East Conference Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Teams, as announced today by the league office. Cummings and Fontanez, who are being honored for the second straight season, were joined by Mike Dempsey, Valete Graham, Melissa Lee, Kevin O’Riley and Andrew Overbaugh.

Cummings, a senior middle-distance runner from Bay Shore, N.Y., has a 3.41 cumulative grade point average as an English major with a minor in education. She landed on the 2008 ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America Women’s Track and Field Team. Cummings was named all-conference this winter for running the final leg of the second-place distance medley relay team which finished in 12:16.84 at the America East championship. She also scored points for placing seventh with a time of 5:06.59 in the mile, helping the Great Danes land in the runner-up position in the team standings. At the ECAC championship last weekend, she ran on the 4x800-meter relay which set a school record and finished third for clocking in at 9:00.07.

Fontanez, a junior co-captain and middle-distance runner from Dorado, Puerto Rico, has a 3.48 GPA as an accounting major with a minor in business administration. She also serves on UAlbany’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Fontanez individually qualified for the ECAC meet in the 800-meter run, where she finished 13th in 2:12.30, and joined Cummings on the 4x800-meter relay team that set the school record. She earned All-America East honors for placing third in the 800-meter run in 2:13.83 at the league championship, and also ran on the winning 4x400-meter relay which eclipsed the program record for crossing the line in 3:48.48.

Dempsey, a sophomore pole vaulter from Rochester, N.Y., has recorded a 3.41 GPA as a computer science major. He finished second in the pole vault at the America East championship, clearing 15-feet, 9-inches, to earn all-conference status and help the Great Danes win their fourth consecutive title with a meet-record 211 points. He also tied for eighth with the same mark at the IC4A championship.

Graham, a junior jumper from Bronx, N.Y., has a 3.74 GPA. A psychology major with a minor business administration, he broke the school record in the long jump with a leap of 24-5 at the Tyson Invitational hosted by Arkansas. Graham, who had a perfect 4.0 GPA this past fall, placed fourth in the long jump and triple jump at the America East championship. He was also fifth in the long jump for recording a mark of 23-5.50 at the IC4A meet, helping the Great Danes become the first America East school to win the team title.

Lee, a senior sprinter from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a human biology major who carries a 3.58 GPA. She joined Cummings and Fontanez on the record-breaking 4x800-meter relay team at the ECAC championship, where she was also 13th in the 500-meter dash with a mark of 1:15.29. Lee was named all-conference for placing second in the 500-meter dash in 1:15.05 at the conference meet, and also accumulated points for running on the fifth-place 4x800-meter relay which finished in 9:46.49.

O’Riley, a sophomore from Rochester, N.Y. whose primary event has been the heptathlon, has a 3.52 GPA with an undeclared major. He was sixth in the heptathlon at the America East championship, finishing with a personal-best 4,416 points. It marked a significant improvement from last year league championship meet, when he placed eighth in the event with 4,196 points.

Overbaugh, a senior sprinter from Catskill, N.Y., carries a 3.35 GPA as a sociology major with a minor in criminal justice. This winter, he earned All-America East honors for the third straight season as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team. At this year’s conference meet, he led off the winning relay which set a meet record of 3:11.77. In addition, he ran a personal-best time of 49.55 seconds to place seventh in the 400-meter dash at the league championship.

To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution.