WAYNESBURG (June 5) – Waynesburg University junior
Ashley Dodd (Upper St. Clair, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and sophomore
Melissa Cox (Waynesburg, Pa./Jefferson-Morgan) were named to the
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II women's track & field/cross country teams, announced the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday.
Dodd earned a first-team selection, while Cox received second-team laurels. As a first-team honoree, Dodd will be nominated for consideration for the
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams.
Dodd qualified for both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2008 in the pole vault. She became the first track & field athlete (male or female) to earn NCAA All-America status when she finished sixth at the indoor championships in March. Dodd holds both the indoor (3.78 meters; 12-4¾ feet) and outdoor (3.67 meters; 12-½ feet) school records in the pole vault.
In the classroom, the Upper St. Clair product holds a 3.91 grade-point average (GPA) as an elementary education major. Last year, she was a member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll.
Cox holds a combined four school records (one outdoor, three indoor) in two seasons with the program. She set the outdoor school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 24.05 seconds at last year’s PAC Track & Field Championships to earn all-conference honors. During the 2008 indoor season, Cox set both the 400-meter dash (1:04.47) and 800-meter run (2:26.72) records. She and Dodd were also members of the school record, 4x400-meter relay team with a time of 4:34.79.
Cox, a graduate of nearby Jefferson-Morgan High School, also is an elementary education major and holds a perfect 4.00 GPA. Last spring, she was a member of the PAC Academic Honor Roll.
To qualify for the academic all-district honors, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative 3.20 GPA or higher, reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games as a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.
District II consists of all colleges and universities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and District of Columbia that are not affiliated with NCAA Division I.