Denison University senior Kristen Hohl was
named the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® of the
Year for the women's At-Large program as selected by the College
Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Hohl earned the At-Large Academic All-America® of the Year
honor by receiving the most votes out of a select group of student
athletes who were awarded first team Academic All-District honors
and advanced to the national ballot. The At-Large program
recognizes athletes who compete in the sports of fencing, field
hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing,
swimming and diving, tennis and water polo. She is the fourth
athlete in Denison history to earn Academic All-America® of the
Year joining fellow swimmer Kristen Goldthorpe '97, track and
field/cross country standout Elaine Binkley '07 and football's
Grant Jones '87.
"Kristen's career in and out of the pool over the last four
years has been remarkable," stated Director of Athletics, Physical
Education and Recreation Larry Scheiderer. "Denison and the
Academic All-America program have a rich history and for Kristen to
be selected as the best of the best from such an elite group speaks
volumes about her character and determination."
This award moves Hohl into the circle of the nation's elite
student-athletes where she will have an opportunity to be named the
nation's overall Academic All-America of the Year. Hohl, who
will represent the At-Large team, will go against the Academic
All-America of the Year from soccer, football, basketball,
baseball, volleyball, softball, and track and field. Previous
winners of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year include
Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Rebecca Lobo (Connecticut) and Chad
Pennington (Marshall). The results of the final balloting will be
announced in mid-July.
Athletes are eligible for Academic All-America status only
during their sophomore, junior and senior seasons. This is
Hohl's third straight Academic All-America® award, making her
just the third Denison athlete to become a three-time Academic
All-American.
This year Hohl captured three national championships in the 200
and 400 medley relays, and the 400 freestyle relay. The
Winfield, Ill. native was also a six-time All-American during her
senior campaign. During her tenure in Granville, the
four-time national qualifier won four national titles, recorded 22
All-American swims and has captured 11 North Coast Athletic
Conference championships. Additionally, the biology major has
broken NCAA national records in the 200 and 400 medley relays and
the 400 free relay. In April she became Denison's 43rd NCAA
Postgraduate Scholarship award winner and was one of five
recipients of the prestigious Denison Presidential Medal at the
annual senior awards convocation.
She graduated with a 3.97 grade point average and she also holds
membership in Sigma Xi, the scientific research society; the
Phi Society; Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Health Pre-Professional Honor
Society; the Biology Honor Society; Mortar Board, the National
College Senior Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa, the National
Leadership Honor Society. She has been given the Award for
Academic Excellence in the Biology, Physics and Chemistry
departments, and has volunteered with the Denison Community
Association, the Free Swim Lessons Program and Relay for Life.
Fifty-five Denison athletes have earned Academic
All-America® status since 1967 and 35 have garnered the award
since 1999, an average of over three per year, placing Denison
among the nation's leaders.
Created in 1952 by the College Sports Information Directors
of America (CoSIDA), the ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-America® Teams Program is the premier, nationwide college
scholar-athlete awards program. It recognizes over 800 outstanding
student-athletes annually in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering
all NCAA championship sports.
