CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Boston University senior Marisa Ryan of the cross country and track & field teams has been named the 2006-07 America East Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. With the honor, Ryan becomes the first female student-athlete and second person ever to repeat as Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the America East Conference.

During the 2006-07 season, Ryan earned a pair of Scholar-Athlete awards in cross country and track & field and she recently became the first student-athlete to be accepted into Boston University's seven-year liberal arts/medical education program. She holds a 3.78 grade point average and is on schedule to receive her M.D. in three years. Ryan is involved in nine different community service activities in Boston.

Athletically, she had three top-five finishes at the AE Cross Country Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007. She holds the conference indoor mark in the 3,000 meters with a time of nine minutes, 40.21 seconds, an event she won twice in her career. She also won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2007 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

On the men's side, Binghamton's Rory Quiller (track & field) was named the Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

For more information on the America East Academic Awards Program, including the complete list of all honor roll recipients, log on to the conference's official website www.AmericaEast.com.