May 22, 2001
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame sprinter Liz Grow (Jr., New Braunfels, Texas) has been selected to the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic all-District Five At-Large team for spring sports.
The Irish All-American is joined by three other Notre Dame student-athletes on the District Five men’s and women’s teams. Joining Grow on the women’s 10 member team is rowing standout Leah Ashe (Sr., Orchard Park, N.Y.). On the men’s side, lacrosse standout Mike Adams (Sr., Wilton, Conn.) and golfer Steve Ratay (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) were chosen to the 10 man men’s team. All four athletes will now go on their respective national ballots for Verizon Academic All-American honors. The men’s team will be announced on June 12 and the women’s team on June 14.
Grow has a 3.491 grade-point average in English and has qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships (May 29-June 1) in Eugene, Ore., in the 400 meters and on Notre Dame’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay teams. She won the 2001 BIG EAST 400-meters in a time of 53.17 and set a personal-best in qualifying with a 52.40 preliminary time. Grow also took all-BIG EAST honors in the 200 meters (24.20) and was a member of Notre Dame’s BIG EAST champion 4 x 100 relay team. She has already taken All-America honors this season at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 400 meters and won the BIG EAST indoor title in that race. Grow is the Notre Dame record holder in both the indoor and outdoor 400 meters and is the school’s first sprinter ever to take All-America honors.
The Academic All-America Spring At-Large teams are chosen from student-athletes participating in seven spring sports – rowing (women), lacrosse, indoor/outdoor track, water polo (women), golf, tennis and volleyball (men). The teams are then selected in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America.