Feb. 11, 2016
By Lizzie Mikes
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame received word Thursday that 17 Fighting Irish student-athletes representing five fall sports have been named to their respective sport’s Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team.
Highlighting the group is 2015 NCAA and ACC women’s cross country champion Molly Seidel (Hartland, Wis./University Lake School), who was chosen as the ACC Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the conference’s all-academic team for a third time.
Seidel became the first Notre Dame runner in history and first ACC performer since 2003 (as well as just seventh conference runner in history) to capture the NCAA women’s cross country individual title, claiming the crown back in November after running the 6k course in 19:28.6, a full five seconds ahead of Boise State’s Allie Ostrander. Seidel’s performance at the NCAA Championship also helped the Irish finish eighth in the team standings. Her effort came on the heels of her ACC title with a 6k time of 19:36, and top honors at the Great Lakes Regional in 20:03.
Seidel, a senior majoring in anthropology, was joined by freshman Rachel DaMamio (Bloomfield Village, Mich./Seaholm/First Year of Studies) on the ACC Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Team. On the men’s side, senior Michael Clevenger (Decatur, Ill./Douglas MacArthur/Accounting), juniors Jacob Dumford (Weterville, Ohio/Westerville North/Computer Science) and Christopher Marco (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South/Finance), and sophomores Brent Kennedy (Allegheny Township, Penn./Kiski Area/Mechanical Engineering) and Kevin Pulliam (McLean, Va./Gonzaga College H.S./Mechanical Engineering) were tabbed, with Clevenger securing a spot on the league’s all-academic team for a third time.
In other Fighting Irish women’s sports, sophomore Samantha Fry (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy/Undeclared) was tabbed in volleyball, while Cari Roccaro (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip/Sociology), Katie Naughton (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove/Anthropology) and Anna Maria Gilbertson (Davis, Calif./Davis/Neuroscience) all were named to the women’s soccer team. For Roccaro, it is the third time she has been chosen, while Naughton earned her accolade for the second time.
In men’s soccer, no less than six individuals – including two three-time honorees – were named to the ACC All-Academic Team. Leading the way for the Fighting Irish were seniors Evan Panken (Edina, Minn./Edina/Pre-professional) and Patrick Hodan (Brookfield, Wis./Marquette University H.S./Finance) who each earned their third all-ACC academic honor in 2015. Graduate student Max Lachowecki (Evansville, Ind./Reitz Memorial), senior Michael Shipp (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest/Pre-professional), junior Chris Hubbard (Louisville, Ky./Trinity/Accounting) and sophomore Jon Gallagher (Dundalk, Ireland/Greens Farms Academy/Business) were all first-time honorees.
To be eligible for consideration to an ACC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous semester, and maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA during their academic careers. Graduate students must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA for both the previous semester and for their graduate school careers.
Volleyball ACC All-Academic Team
Samantha Fry, So., Undeclared
Women’s Soccer ACC All-Academic Team
# Cari Roccaro, Sr., Sociology
@ Katie Naughton, Sr., Anthropology
Anna Maria Gilbertson, Sr., Neuroscience
Men’s Soccer ACC All-Academic Team
Christopher Hubbard, Jr., Accounting
# Evan Panken, Sr., Pre-Professional
Jonathan Gallagher, So., Business
Max Lachowecki, GS, Undeclared
Michael Shipp, Sr., Pre-Professional
# Patrick Hodan, Sr., Finance
Women’s Cross Country ACC All-Academic Team
!# Molly Seidel, Sr., Anthropology
Rachel DaMamio, Fr., Undeclared
Men’s Cross Country ACC All-Academic Team
# Michael Clevenger, Sr., Accounting
Jacob Dumford, Jr., Computer Science
Brent Kennedy, So., Mechanical Engineering
Christopher Marco, Jr., Finance
Kevin Pulliam, So., Mechanical Engineering
! – ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year selection
@ – Two-time ACC All-Academic honoree
# – Three-time ACC All-Academic honoree
— ND —
Lizzie Mikes serves as Media Services Coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. A 2013 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, she oversees credential management and is the athletic communications director for Fighting Irish men’s and women’s swimming and diving and men’s and women’s track and field. She has assisted with numerous NCAA postseason events hosted by Notre Dame, and is heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of the athletic communications office.