March 29, 2006

Boston, Mass. - Four Stony Brook student-athletes were named to America East's Winter All-Academic Team, the league office announced on Wednesday afternoon. Jessica Smith of women's basketball, Sarah Herbert and Dana Hastie of indoor track and field and Kim Harris of swimming and diving were honored for their achievements in both athletics and academics.

Smith, a junior forward from Bloomingdale, N.J., holds a 3.48 GPA in health science. She is a three-time America East all-conference selection, including a two-time second team pick, while leading the Seawolves to a second place finish in the league standings in 2006.

Herbert, a graduate student from Bristol, England, holds a 3.63 GPA and is working towards her master's degree from the school of professional development. She finished third in the 1000-meters at America East Indoor Track and Field Championships in February.

Hastie, a sophomore from Wellington, New Zealand, is posting a 3.67 GPA in theater. She finished third in the 3000-meters, setting a school record and qualifying for ECACs, and fourth in the 5000-meters, also in an ECAC qualifying time, at America East Indoor Track and Field Championships back in February.

Harris, a senior from Farmingdale, N.Y., has a 3.99 GPA in pharmacology. She finished third in the 100-yard backstroke and sixth in the 200-yard backstroke at America East Swimming and Diving Championships in February.

Each All-Academic Team has been selected based on the student-athlete's academic and athletic accomplishments. Academic achievement for consideration requires student-athletes to have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 entering the season. Athletic accomplishment standards vary between team sports and individual sports.

For team sports, student-athletes are required to be a nomination on the post-season awards ballot, which is determined by the league's head coaches. For individual sports, student-athletes are required to be a medalist or top three finisher, depending on the sport, at the conference championship meet.

Team size for team sports is based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., five on the court for basketball). In the event that the number of student-athletes meeting the requirements is greater than the number that participate in a contest at one time, all-conference vote totals were used as the tie-breaking criteria. Team size for individual sports is determined by the number of all-conference honorees who possess the minimum academic requirement.