University of Albany Track & Field's Valete Graham Voted to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I Team

Philadelphia, Pa. - University at Albany's Valete Graham has been named to the ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America Men's Track & Field Team, as announced on Thursday, June 3 by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Graham, who helped UAlbany capture eight America East Conference championships and three IC4A crowns over the last four years, was chosen to the all-district first team for the second straight season.

Graham, a senior horizontal jumper from Bronx, N.Y., graduated with a 3.70 grade point average as a psychology major. He made the 2008 and 2009 USTFCCCA Division I Men's All-Academic Track and Field Team and was named the 2009 America East Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year outdoors and the 2010 America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year indoors. A member of five America East all-academic teams, Graham was a 2010 ECAC Merit Medal winner and a recipient of the Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award.

During the outdoor season, Graham won his third straight long jump title at the America East championship by leaping 24-feet, 7.75-inches, becoming just the second student-athlete to accomplish the feat in league history. He also became the first UAlbany student-athlete to claim three straight crowns in an individual event at the championship. He also placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 47-8. Graham who was eighth in the long jump (23-9.50) at the IC4A Championship and ended his career with a 22nd-place finish in his premier event (24-3) at last week's NCAA East Preliminary Round. His mark of 24-9.25 in the long jump at the 2009 America East meet is a school record.

Graham was as equally impressive during his final indoor campaign, accumulating 18 points at the America East championship. He garnered all-conference laurels twice by winning the long jump with a leap of 23-6 and placing second in the triple jump with a mark of 47-10. He also led the Great Danes to their second consecutive title at the IC4A Championship by registering a fourth-place mark of 23-2.75 in the long jump. UAlbany was the first program to win back-to-back IC4A crowns since Georgetown in 2000, and remains the only America East institution to win the championship. In addition, he broke the program standard in the long jump with a first-place mark of 24-6.50 at the Great Dane Classic.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information