TOWSON, Md. --- Tusculum College's Jenny Grant has been named to the 2012-13 Capital One Division II Academic All-America® Women's Cross Country/Track & Field first team as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Grant becomes the first two-time Academic All-America® selection in TC women's cross country history, after earning third team honors last season.

Grant, a Franklin, Tenn. product, posted a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average while majoring in psychology and graduated with honors from Tusculum last month.

Grant proved to be Tusculum's most consistent competitors on the Tusculum team in 2012. In her eight races, she recorded three top-20 performances, including her sixth-place showing at the Warren Wilson Invitational, where she posted a 5,000-meter time of 24:11.13. She bettered that time by almost two minutes her next meet as she finished 19th at The Citadel Bulldog Invitational. Grant also finished 11th at the Maryville Invitational and 43rd at the South Atlantic Conference championship, which was held on the Tusculum campus.

She was named the 2012 SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year and was TC's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

She is a member SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List, Charles Olive Gray Honors List, Tusculum President's List and Alpha Chi Honor Society. She is a three-time recipient of the Tusculum Student-Athlete Academic Award, which honors the TC student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average.

In the classroom, she was involved in research with the Psychology Department and presented her findings at the 2012 Southeastern Psychology Association (SEPA) National Conference.

In the community, Grant served as a peer tutor and was a member of the President's Society where she served as a student ambassador, provided campus tours to prospective students and represented students at Presidential board meetings. She also served as president of the Resident Hall Association and was a member of the TC Track & Field Club.

Other community service activities includes: Voices Against Violence, Psychology Club, International & Multicultural Club, Plaza Towers Retirement Home volunteer, New Hope Cemetery volunteer and the Southeastern Guide Dogs Association, where she has assisted with the raising of a guide dog for those in need.

Within the athletic department, she served as vice president of the Pioneer Student Athlete Advisory Council (PSAAC) and was also on the Tusculum Student Government Judicial Board.

Grant becomes the ninth Tusculum student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® first team distinction joining: Simon Holzapfel (men's cross country), Denise Fliesser (women's soccer), Dustin Morrow (baseball), Cody Coffman (baseball), Taylor Rakes (baseball), Chase Carroll (men's golf) and Jarrell NeSmith (football).

She also becomes the seventh TC student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® honors on more than one occasion in their career, joining Fliesser, NeSmith, Holzapfel, Rakes, Jillian Corum (women's golf) and Ashley Sarmiento (volleyball).

The Capital One Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2012-13 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

- CoSIDA -

2012-13 Capital One Division II Academic All-America® Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Team
First Team
Erin Alewine, Central Missouri
Emily Ballock, Pittsburg State
Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro
Corinne Fitzgerald, East Stroudsburg
Lisa Gallasso, Grand Valley State
Jenny Grant, Tusculum
Katy Gross, Seattle Pacific
Monica Kinney, Grand Valley State
Erin Kling, California (Pa.)
Rose Mascoli, East Stroudsburg
Makayla McPhail, Fort Hays State
Anna Rudd, Ferris State
Milika Tuivanuavou, Fresno Pacific
Amy Varsell, Bentley

Second Team
Mikayla Barondeau, Northern State
Deborah Boedeker, Truman State
Stephanie Case, Slippery Rock
Vicki Davis, Bloomsburg
Lauryn Falcone, Rollins
Melanie Hoffman, Michigan Tech
Angela Musk, Bellarmine
Starr Nathan, American International
Madison Pines, Northwood
Tara Richardson, Western State
Katie Spratford, Shippensburg
Kara Styles, Slippery Rock
Alison Worthen, Seattle Pacific
Monica Wuertz, Pittsburg State
Ewa Zaborowska, Harding

Third Team
Jenny Altieri, Limestone
Jessie Baldwin, Newberry
Alex Colvin, Colorado State-Colorado Springs
Emeline Crutcher, Angelo State
Michelle Cumberbatch, Lincoln
Caitlin Fahey, Bentley
Emily Frith, Bellarmine
Shavine Hodges, Grand Canyon
Ruth Keino, Alaska Anchorage
Rachel McCarroll, Truman State
Sophie McNeely, Western State
Lisa Ohberg, Cal State Los Angeles
Larissa Richards, Pittsburg State
Stephanie Smigiera, Edinboro
Hannah Witt, King (Tenn.)

DII Women's Track/Cross Country Academic All-American® of the Year: Kristen Hixson, Grand Valley State