May 14, 2009

America East Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Seniors Danielle Abraham and Cori Lefkowith along with junior Francine Whu are three of seven student-athletes named to the 2009 America East Women's Tennis All-Academic Team, the conference announced on Thursday afternoon. All three Terriers were on the squad last season, while Lefkowith earned her third consecutive honor.

Set to graduate this weekend with a degree in communications and a gpa of 3.55, Lefkowith (Clayton, Mo.) posted a 23-6 record this season, including a 14-3 mark in the No. 4 spot. An AE first-team all-conference honoree for singles and doubles, she picked up two victories during the AE tournament to help lead the 59th-ranked Terriers to the program's 20th championship and 11th straight trip to the NCAAs.

A classmate of Lefkowith and also doubles partner, Abraham (Waukesha, Wis.) is graduating this weekend with a degree in biology and will be attending medical school in the fall after leaving BU with a gpa of 3.83. Named to the AE first-team all-conference doubles squad, she and Lefkowith earned the clinching doubles victories against UMBC and Binghamton during the AE tournament. She also had a 11-6 singles record during the season.

Named AE Player of the Year in 2008, Whu (Staten Island, N.Y.) had a strong junior season, posting a 17-11 singles record, which including the AE championship clinching point against Binghamton. During the spring season, she defeated a nationally-ranked player from Old Dominion, and for her efforts, she received first-team all-league honors for both singles and doubles. Majoring in sociology, Whu has a 3.59 gpa.

For the last two academic years, the All-Academic Team has been selected based on a formula. Starting this year, America East has adopted a more subjective approach based on feedback from various coaches' groups and administrators and approval by the athletic directors. The process will now resemble the CoSIDA's Academic All-America program. Student-athletes worthy of consideration will now be nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.

To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team's games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.

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