, Calif. – Fourteen Oregon State rowers were recognized when Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen announced the Pac-10 All-Academic Team Tuesday. Becca Franceschi, , , , , and earned first team recognition. and were second team recipients and Jennifer Hester, , , and received honorable mention.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be either a starter or significant contributor.
Parker (Sidney, B.C.), a senior and a team captain, earned her first-team honors for the third year in a row. Parker led the 1st Varsity Eight to its highest national ranking of the season at 16 as the boat’s coxswain. Parker holds a 3.59 grade point average in Exercise and Sport Science and plans to be a physical therapist after graduation.
Tomlinson, a Health Promotion and Education major with a 3.67 GPA, competed in the 1st Varstiy Eight for the second year in a row and spent the 2006 season rowing in the stroke seat. Tomlinson (Victoria, B.C.), was a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic first team in 2005 and the second team in 2004.
O’Connell (Alsea, Ore.), who has spent time in the Beavers’ 2nd Varsity Eight as well as the Varsity Four in 2006, earned her second consecutive Pa-10 All-Academic first team honor. O’Connell, a junior, maintains a 3.71 GPA while studying Animal Sciences.
Pleven (Victoria, B.C.), a senior, rowed the 5-seat for the Beavers’ 1st Varsity Eight in 2006. A Food Science and Technology major, Pleven maintains a 3.54 GPA and was a second team member in 2005.
Sophomores Franceschi, Hanway and Towne all received academic recognition for the first time. Franceschi (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) rowed in the Varsity Four in 2006 and holds a 3.72 GPA in General Science. Hanway (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit HS) coxed the Varsity Four and maintains a 3.65 GPA in Exercise and Sport Science. Towne (Myrtle Point, Ore./Myrtle Point HS) earned a spot in the 1st Varsity Eight in just her second year of rowing, finding a home in the 2-seat. Towne studies General Science to the tune of a 3.71 GPA.
Leibinger (Neu-Ulm, Germany) earned a spot on the All-Academic second team for the second season in a row. Leibinger, a junior, rowed the stroke seat in the 1st Varsity Eight this season and maintains a 3.42 GPa in Business Administration.
A sophomore, Hanson (Tigard, Ore./Tigard HS) received recognition for her 3.46 GPA in General Science. Hanson rowed the 3-seat of the 2nd Varsity Eight in 2006.
Senior and junior Jennifer Hester, both of whom attended Mountain View High in Bend, Ore., each received honorable mention for the second year in a row. Iversen (Cardiff, Calif.), Jones (Camarillo, Calif.), and Rasor (Hillsboro, Ore./Glencoe HS) all received the first academic honors of their careers.
