Recent graduate Katie Hansen (), the 2009 Seattle University Female Student-Athlete of the Year, was voted to the Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-America third team (College Division) by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), announced Friday by the national organization.
Hansen, one of the best distance runners in school history, finished her collegiate cross country career in grand fashion, winning both the Pier Park Invitational and the Beaver Classic. During the indoor track and field season, she set school records in the mile run (4:55.68), the 3000 meter run (9:56.51), and the 5000 meter run (16:57.17).
Hansen holds the distinction of being the last Seattle University student-athlete to compete in an NCAA Division II Championship event, as she finished 11th in the 3000 meter run at the 2008 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She was the team’s top finisher in every cross country meet she competed in over the past three seasons, and she also holds the school record in the 3000 meter run for the outdoor season.
Graduating with a 3.922 grade point average, Hansen received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology at ’s Commencement Ceremonies on June 14 at KeyArena. She will move across the country to attend graduate school at the of at , where she will also use her final year of eligibility in indoor and outdoor track & field after missing the 2007 season with an injury.
Hansen becomes the third student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors during the 2008-09 academic year, joining soccer player Kate Edstrom and softball player Jamie Foote. The first-ever representative from the cross country and track & field program, she becomes the 12th different Seattle University student-athlete to receive Academic All-America honors since 1984 and the eighth one over the past three years.
As part of the reclassification process towards Division I status, will move from the College Division (NCAA Division II & III, NAIA) to the University Division (NCAA Division I) beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year. As a result, student-athletes will be competing for Academic All-District honors against student-athletes representing schools from the Pac-10 Conference, the West Coast Conference, the Big West Conference, and the Big Sky Conference, among others.
The Academic All-America Teams program honors over 800 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the and .