May 23, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State distance runners Lisa Aguilera and Kelly MacDonald have been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District VIII first-team for Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced today.
With their first-team selections, Aguilera and MacDonald advance to the Verizon Academic All-American national ballot. The national team will be announced June 20, 2002.
Aguilera, a junior from Peoria, Ariz., has a 3.49 GPA in computer engineering and finance. A three-time All-American in track and a two-time All-American in cross country, Aguilera just won the 2002 Pac-10 Championship title in the 3000m steeplechase last weekend. She was also the 2002 NCAA Indoor runner-up in the 3000m. Aguilera has automatically qualified for the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 5000m, and has notched provisional qualifying times in the steeplechase and the 1500m.
MacDonald, a senior from Tualatin, Ore., graduated earlier this month with a degree in art education and a 3.64 GPA. Her athletic eligibility concluded with the 2001 cross country season, during which she was ASU's No. 2 runner behind Aguilera, earning All-Region and All-Pac-10 honors. During her ASU career, MacDonald was a four-time All-American in track and a 1999 All-American in cross country. She won three Pac-10 titles on the track, including two 5000m crowns (2000, 2001) and the inaugural 3000m steeplechase (2001). She is also the ASU record-holder in three events: the indoor 5000m, outdoor 5000m and 3000m steeplechase.
This is the third first-team Academic All-District honor for Aguilera, a women's fall at-large selection in 2000 and women's spring at-large in 2001. She went on to earn first-team All-America honors for fall at-large and third-team honors for spring at-large. MacDonald earned second-team All-District honors for spring at-large in 2001. This year marks the first year track and field/cross country has its own category for the Verizon Academic All-America program.
Team members are voted upon by the District VIII members of CoSIDA, which includes schools in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and British Columbia. To be eligible, student-athletes must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA, be in their second season at their current school and be a starter or important reserve.