DELAWARE, Ohio- Two members of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s women’s track and field team have been named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

Senior hurdler Deanna Bealby (Peterborough, N.H.) was named to the first team, and senior middle distance runner Leanne Nygaard (Medway, Mass.) was named to the second team.

Both Bealby and Nygaard were named to the women’s track and field/cross country team in a vote of sports information directors in District One who are members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. Student-athletes honored must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 and be sophomores, juniors or seniors at their respective universities.

Bealby was honored as the 2007-08 Female Eastern College Athletic Conference Robbins Scholar-Athlete of the Year by UMass Dartmouth. A member of the inaugural spring Little East All-Academic team, she earned All-Conference honors outdoors in the 4 x 100 meter relay, and indoors in the 4 x 200 meter relay. A team captain, she was named to the Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence (3.8 grade point average or better) in each of her seven semesters at UMass Dartmouth, Bealby was also nominated for Academic All-America last year.

Nygaard earned the Corsairs’ 2008 Scholar-Athlete award. She was All-Conference indoors at 1000 meters and outdoors at 1500 meters, finished 18th in the Little East Conference/New England Alliance Cross Country Championships, has earned All-Conference honors each year in track and field, and started as a defender for the soccer team as a sophomore. A team captain and a member of the inaugural spring Little East Conference All-Academic team, Nygaard was named to the Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence (3.8 grade point average or better) in each of her seven semesters at UMass Dartmouth, and is a three-time Academic All-America nominee.

“Both Deanna and Leanne have demonstrated high academic and athletic achievement,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Jon Hird. “They also show that in many cases, your high academic achievers are also your high top athletic achievers. By their examples, both Leanne and Deanna have encouraged others to work hard in both areas. They have been inspirational as far as our teams are concerned.”

                                            UMASS DARTMOUTH TRACK AND FIELD