June 23, 2011
Official Press Release
Capital One Academic All-America Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team
VILLANOVA, Pa.--In addition to the honors she has received for her incredible success in competition over the past year, Villanova senior Sheila Reid (Newmarket, Ont.) continues to be recognized for her excellence in academics as well. Reid was named today as a first team Capital One Academic All-American for track & field/cross country, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The selection as an Academic All-American is a top honor for Reid, who is only the ninth Villanova women's track & field student-athlete to receive this honor, and the first in more than 15 years. Reid is coming off an academic year in which she registered a 4.0 grade-point average during the fall semester while combining during the year to win four national titles, five All-America honors and six BIG EAST titles.
The Capital One Academic All-America program recognizes student-athletes for having at least a 3.3 grade-point average while also having outstanding accomplishments in competition. Reid currently carries a 3.408 cumulative GPA as an English major.
She previously was named a first team Academic All-District 2 selection in order to be eligible for the All-America ballot. Reid was chosen as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Scholar-Athlete of the Year following the cross country season and was also voted the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year. Her academic accolades for track include being a four-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and a member of the Academic All-Area squad.
Reid is currently a "Top 3" finalist for the Honda-Broderick Cup, the annual award that designates the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. She is a recipient of the Honda Sports Award for both cross country and track & field and was the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Year for cross country and outdoor track.
During the cross country season Reid won the individual national championship while leading Villanova to its second consecutive team title. Along the way she repeated as the titlist at both the BIG EAST Championships and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, all while achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA for the fall semester.
Reid continued her remarkable year indoors by anchoring the Wildcats to a national championship in the distance medley relay and also earning All-America honors for a runner-up finish in the 3000 meters. She set a meet record in winning the 1000 meters at the BIG EAST Championships and also helped lead Villanova to conference titles in the 4x800 meter relay as well as the DMR.
At the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships earlier this month Reid became the first woman in history to win both the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters in the same year. She also won both events at the BIG EAST Championships last month.
The last Villanova women's track & field student-athlete to be named an Academic All-American is Becky Spies, who was a first team selection in 1995 and a second team selection in 1994. The other seven student-athletes to receive the honor are Nnenna Lynch, Carol Haux, Michelle DiMuro, Vicki Huber, Celeste Halliday, Joanne Kehs and Jane Ashton.
Note: Reid is the third Villanova student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors this spring, joining men's lacrosse player Brian Karalunas and men's track athlete Matthew Gibney.
Villanova Women's Track Academic All-America Selections
Sheila Reid - 2011 first team
Becky Spies - 1995 first team, 1994 second team
Nnenna Lynch - 1993 first team, 1992 third team
Carol Haux - 1991 second team
Michelle DiMuro - 1989 third team
Vicki Huber - 1989 first team, 1988 first team
Celeste Halliday - 1988 second team, 1987 third team
Joanne Kehs - 1986 first team, 1985 first team, 1984 second team
Jane Ashton - 1985 first team
Capital One Academic All-America Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
FIRST TEAM
Mary Angell, Kentucky
Whitney Carlson, North Dakota State
Ashley Cattran, Dayton
Tara Diebold, Arkansas
Jordan Hasay, Oregon
Olivia Johnson, Marquette
Nora Mehl, UAB
Vera Neuenswander, Indiana
Kate Niehaus, Stanford
Sofie Persson, Mississippi
Kelly Phillips, Virginia Tech
Chanelle Price, Tennessee
Sheila Reid, Villanova
Natalie Willer, Nebraska
Kimberly Williams, Florida State
SECOND TEAM
Brigetta Barrett, Arizona
Sarah-Anne Brault, West Virginia
Brittany Burns, Marist
Kaitlyn Dugan, New Hampshire
Betsy Graney, William & Mary
Rhiannon Johns, UAB
Anne Kesselring, Oregon
Bridget Lyons, Georgia
Ashley Miller, Nebraska
Kaitlyn Peale, Michigan
Trecey Rew, Northwestern State
Amy Shackleford, Stephen F. Austin
Faith Sherrill, Indiana
Jessica Ubanyionwu, Baylor
Stephanie Wilson, Santa Clara
THIRD TEAM
Yolanda Berryhill, Georgia State
Chelsea Blanchard, Indiana
Keri Bland, West Virginia
Brittany Borman, Oklahoma
Sarah Callister, Weber State
Corey Conner, Maine
Kianna Elahi, Iowa State
Kelsey Hanley, Indiana State
Lauren McNamara, Southeast Missouri State
Sarah Pease, Indiana
Kristin Reffett, Murray State
April Rotilio, West Virginia
Ashley Schnell, UNC-Greensboro
Renee Tomlin, Georgetown
Emily Zimmerman, Dayton
