Senior Stacey Cowan placed second in the high jump on Friday evening at the Meyo Invitational.

Four Irish Track & Field Athletes Named Academic All-District

June 3, 2005

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Four members of the University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field team have been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Track and Field/Cross Country Team. Seniors Sean O’Donnell (Kansas City, Mo.) and Todd Mobley (West Bloomfield, Mich.) represent the Irish men, while juniors Stacey Cowan (Ferndale, Wash.) and Petra Dankova (Kladno, Czech Republic) were selections for the women. Those student-athletes, along with others from across the nation, will appear on the Academic All-America ballot.

O’Donnell is a standout in both cross country and track as he was an all-BIG EAST cross country runner this past season and was also a member of the BIG EAST champion indoor distance medley relay squad. His performances helped those Fighting Irish squads to conference titles. O’Donnell carries a 3.854 grade-point average as an engineering major and was named the men’s cross country team’s Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award winner for the 2004 campaign. Other season highlights include scoring performances in the 3,000-meters at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship and in the 5,000-meters at the BIG EAST outdoors. O’Donnell participated in the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championship and ran the 5,000-meters at the Mid-East Outdoor Track and Field Regional last week.

Mobley, a two-time All-American in cross country (2002, 2003), was a first-team Academic All-American selection one year ago. The fifth-year senior exhausted his cross country eligibility following the 2003 season, yet returned to Notre Dame this year to compete in track and field. Mobley helped the Fighting Irish win the BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championship with a scoring performance in the 5,000-meters. He also scored in the 10,000-meters at the BIG EAST outdoor meet as the team placed second. Mobley, who competed in the 10,000-meters at the 2005 Mid-East Outdoor Regional one week ago, possesses a 3.854 GPA as he pursues an MBA.

Cowan will be competing in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championship June 8-11 in Sacramento, Calif. She also qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship and is a three-time all-BIG EAST performer this season. Cowan earned all-conference honors in the indoor high jump, indoor pentathlon and the outdoor high jump to help guide her team to second-place showings at both the indoor and outdoor BIG EAST meets. The junior, who owns a 3.779 GPA as a science pre-professional studies major, received All-American status in the indoor high jump during the 2004 campaign.

Dankova was an all-BIG EAST member this season in the indoor long jump and triple jump as she helped her team place second in both conference championship meets. She added a scoring performance in the triple jump at the outdoor BIG EAST meet to her resume. Career highlights for Dankova include a school record in the outdoor triple jump, which occurred at the 2004 BIG EAST championship and she also captured three triple jump titles during the 2004 campaign. Dankova has a 3.909 GPA in political science.

2004-05 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V University Division Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team

John Albert, Jr., Minnesota, 3.818, Business
Seth Bodden, Sr., Wisconsin-Green Bay, 3.938, Human Biology
Nathan Brown, Jr., Wisconsin, 3.985, Biochemistry
Joe Detmer, Jr., Wisconsin, 3.604, Computer Engineering
Zach Glavash, So., Illinois, 3.555, Kinesiology
Bryant Howe, Sr., Minnesota, 3.358, Mechanical Engineering
Todd Mobley, Sr., Notre Dame, 3.854, Business (MBA)
Sean O’Donnell, Sr., Notre Dame, 3.854, Engineering

Andrew Sherman, Gr., Butler, 4.00, Education
Josh Spiker, Sr., Wisconsin, 3.467, Business

2004-05 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V University Division Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team

Monica Behney, Jr., Butler, 4.00, English
Noa Beitler, Sr., Southern Illinois, 4.00, Art and Design
Stacey Cowan, Jr. Notre Dame, 3.779, Science Pre-Professional Studies
Jessica Crowder, Sr., Indiana State, 3.96, English Education
Petra Dankova, Jr., Notre Dame, 3.909, Political Science
Amber Ferner, Grad., Purdue, 3.44, Veterinary School
Mollie Hupp, Jr., Minnesota, 3.932, Nursing
Amanda Meyer, Sr., Valparaiso, 3.93, Business Management and Sports Management
Victoria Mitchell, Grad., Butler, 3.916, Education
Yael Peled, Sr., Wisconsin, 4.00, Computer Science and Mathematics

— ND –