April 17, 2009

IRVING, Texas - A total of 40 East Carolina student-athletes have earned the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal during the 2008-09 academic year, Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced today. The medals are given to those C-USA student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better.

The men's golf, women's soccer and softball teams each had five members receive the Commissioner's Academic Medal. The men's swimming team had four recipients, while women's cross country, football, women's golf and women's swimming teams had three each.

Memphis had the most academic medal winners with 48, followed closely by SMU with 46 and East Carolina with 40. The total number of academic medal recipients increased by more than 17 percent this season. A total of 394 Conference USA student-athletes have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better. The following is a complete list of the Pirates' medal winners:

Jared Avchen, Baseball
Jacob Davis, Baseball
Gregory Manning, Men's Cross Country
Sarah Hennis, Women's Cross Country
Samantha Lichtner, Women's Cross Country
Tara Wilson, Women's Cross Country
Jack Schultz, Football
Joseph Sloan, Football
William Smith, Football
Tripp Brizendine, Men's Golf
Markus Leandersson, Men's Golf
Matt Sterling, Men's Golf
Andre Thorsen, Men's Golf
David Watkins, Men's Golf
Kristen Billings, Women's Golf
Colleen Estes, Women's Golf
Julia Strandberg, Women's Golf
Sarah Kirkley, Women's Soccer
Jen Kurowicki, Women's Soccer
Amanda Malkiewicz, Women's Soccer
Nicole Moore, Women's Soccer
Jessica Woodward, Women's Soccer
Cristen Aona, Softball
Charina Sumner,Softball
Kaui Tom, Softball
Priscilla Velasquez, Softball
Caitlin Wainright, Softball
Blake Briese, Men's Swimming
Hunter Mehaffey, Men's Swimming
Doug Parker,Men's Swimming
Andrew Stoker, Men's Swimming
Ashley Mullen, Women's Swimming
Brittany Radcliffe, Women's Swimming
Katie Yamamoto,Women's Swimming
Jaroslav Horvath, Men's Tennis
Sheelah Iyengar, Women's Tennis
Brooke Walter,Women's Tennis
Addison Johnson, Men's Track & Field
Abby Way, Women's Track & Field
Katie Koop, Volleyball