Abbey Rogers Named to Academic All-District Team
5/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
May 22, 2008
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Six Air Force athletes were named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division At-Large All-District VII Teams as selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) and released Thursday, May 22. Ice hockey senior Frank Schiavone, fencing senior Justin Raines and men's swimming senior Spencer Liedl were all named to the men's at-large first team. Junior Abigail Rogers from the woman's gymnastics team was named to the women's at-large first team. These four will be on the ballot for Academic All-America honors. Sophomore Erlyn Rudico from women's tennis and senior Elizabeth Enyart from women's fencing were named to the second team.
Liedl, a senior from of Neenah, Wis., earns his first all-academic honors this year. The team captain of the men's swimming team in the 2007-08 season, Liedl holds a 3.81 GPA and will graduate next week with a degree in management. Liedl earned the first all-conference honors of his career at this year's MWC Championships, finishing fourth in the 400 IM and sixth in the 200 IM. He currently holds the seventh-fastest time in Air Force history in both the 200 IM and 100 backstroke, while rating 10th in the 200 backstroke. Liedl is also a three-time Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete and All-Academic selection, and should receive the honors for a fourth time this year.
Raines, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., carries a 3.88 GPA as a systems engineering management major. Currently he has the 14th highest cumulative GPA in his graduating class of 1,029 cadets. He was the team captain of the Academy's rifle team and was an ESPN Magazine Academic All-District selection for District VII in 2007. He has also been a CRCA (College Rifle Coaches Association) Academic All-American for three seasons. In the summer of 2007, Raines worked on a cadet summer research project for the Missile Defense Agency, performing real-world analysis in support of the nation's missile defense program. During the 2007 academic year, he was the program manager for Falcon Launch VI -- leading 25 cadets in a program that will culminate in the launch of a rocket to an altitude of 150,000 feet. During the first semester of 2007, Raines demonstrated his leadership by serving as the deputy commander for the Commandant's Challenge -- a major multi-day training event for the entire 4,000 member cadet wing.
Schiavone, a senior from Oceanside, N.Y., played in 120 career hockey games and had 23 points. He had a career-best five goals this season as he helped lead the Falcons to their second consecutive league championship and NCAA Tournament. A management major, Schiavone is a two-time academic all-conference selection. He carries a 3.659cumulative grade point average and a 3.8 GPA in his major. He was the cadet in charge of the obstacle course during Basic Cadet Training this past summer. In the fall of 2007, he was the honor officer and chief of inspections in his squadron and has been on the dean's list every semester. An assistant captain, Schiavone has been active in the community, assisting with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation each of the last four years. He has helped with the annual Walk for the Cure which has raised more than $500,000 in the last four years. The native of Oceanside, N.Y., has also led a group of players in aiding the JDRF with the annual gala. He has also spoke to schools in the Colorado Springs area about the importance of school and teamwork and the skills of hockey.
Rogers, a junior from Pittsburgh, Penn., became the first gymnast in Academy history to earn Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Year. An all-conference selection on the balance beam, floor exercise and all-around, Rogers recorded 13 first-place finishes during the course of the season. She participated in the all-around at the NCAA North Central Regional, a two-time MPSF Gymnast of the Week and was an academic all-conference selection for the second straight year. Rogers, who set personal best marks on every event this season and led the team on the vault, uneven bars, floor exercise and all-around, led the conference on the floor exercise and all-around. She carries a 3.70 GPA as a behavioral sciences major.
Rudico, a sophomore from Duncanville, Texas, played the majority of the 2007-08 season at No. 1 doubles with Christine Abayan. The pair won the No. 1 doubles match against nationally ranked BYU, then won at the top spot at the MWC Championships against Wyoming. Rudico, the lone sophomore on the roster, saw limited action in singles play, but tied for the team lead with 11 doubles victories in '07-08. Rudico has a 3.26 GPA in biochemistry.
Enyart, a senior from Bend, Ore, has a 3.35 GPA with a major in behavioral science and a minor in French. In 2006, she became the Academy's first-ever women's fencer to earn honorable mention All-American. She has qualified for the NCAAs three times (2005, 2006 and 2007) and was an NCAA Western Regional selection in 2007 and 2008. She won the women's epee region in 2006 and 2007. For her Academy career, she holds a 67-25 career record (.730 avg.). In 2008, she made the Division I National Championships for the first-time ever, finishing 17th overall in the nation. Academically, she has been on the superintendent's list for two semesters, the dean's list every semester and was on the commandant's list for three semesters for military excellence. She was chosen for Cadet Summer Research at the Gladstone Institute of neurological diseases. Enyart is active in the community; she recently went to the school for deaf and blind to learn about differences in cognitive abilities of "disabled people." She has done over 230 hours of community service during her academy career and is currently making a plan to start women's schools in West Africa, and promote music programs among local youth.
Players Mentioned
