University of Richmond Athletics
A-10 Announces Five Spiders on Cross Country Academic All-Conference Team
11/10/2010 | Cross Country
Nov. 10, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - The Richmond Spiders claim five spots in the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Academic All-Conference team, announced by the A-10 on Tuesday. Andrew Benford, Matt Llano, Timm Quinn, Julie Rechel, and Nicole Traynor helped lead both Spiders' teams to first place finishes at the 2010 A-10 Championship earlier this month.
"We are very proud of the academic and athletic awards our student-athletes have earned representing the University of Richmond," said women's head coach Lori Taylor. "These women and men represent what we expect in our student-athletes. They continue achieving at the highest level within the classroom and their sports. Excelling at the highest level in the classroom is an integral part of our team goals each year. They are highly motivated and competitive at everything they do."
Andrew Benford, a native of Ravenswood, W.Va., is a double major in psychology and religion. He clinched first-place at the Atlantic 10 Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa. breaking the course record with a time of 24:12, and he was announced the A-10 Men's Performer of the Year. Benford received A-10 Men's Performer of the Week following his third-place finish at the Paul Short Invitational (23:52). While redshirting the 2009 season, Benford led the USA team with his 13th place finish at the IAAF World Mountain Running Championships. He was also cross country All-Conference performer in 2008. For more information on Andrew Benford, check out his bio.
Matt Llano, a redshirt-senior from Arnold, Md., finished third overall at the A-10 Championships (24:23), also breaking the course record. He is a triple major in psychology, Spanish and theatre. This year Llano, an All-American in the 10,000M this past spring, finished 21st at the ISU Pre-Nationals (24:04.9) gaining A-10 Performer of the Week honors, and he finished sixth at the Paul Short Invitational (24:01). No stranger to academic honors, Llano was the A-10 Cross Country Student Athlete of the Year in 2008 following a successful season, including A-10 All-Conference performer, A-10 Championship runner-up and NCAA National Championship qualifier. He was also on the Academic All-Conference team in 2007 with teammate Jonathon Molz. For more on Matt Llano, check out his bio.
A senior from Pittsford, N.Y., Tim Quinn was sixth overall at the championship meet with a time of 24:47. Quinn is a double major in political science and French, and earlier this month he gained recognition from the University for his research in French literature. For that article, click link.
Julie Rechel, a senior from Worthington, Ohio, majors in interdisciplinary studies and came in 11th overall at the 2010 A-10 Championships (17:52). Rechel came in 79th at the 2010 Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. with a time of 21:29.8 in the women's 6K, and finished eighth at the Wolfpack Invitational (17:48.8). She was recently crowned the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Triathlon Champion, winning the event by over 8 minutes. For more information on Rechel, check out her bio.
Nicol Traynor, a native of Basking Ridge, N.J., is a senior mathematics major. She led the Spider women at the A-10 Championships, finishing second overall and breaking the course record with her time of 17:17. Traynor has had a very successful 2010 season, receiving A-10 Performer of the week honors following her second-place overall finish at the Wolfpack Invitational where she led the Spider women's team to a first-place finish over host NC State. She also finished 42nd at the ISU Pre-Nationals 6K (21:05.6) and 16th at the Paul Short Invitational 6K (20:56). In 2008, Traynor was on the A-10 Academic All-Conference team as well as being a USTFCCA Scholar Athlete. For more information on Traynor, click the link.
"Our men and women understand how to balance their purpose of earning an exceptional education with winning at the highest level of athletics the NCAA offers," said men's head coach Steve Taylor. "This balance is a key to their academic and athletic achievements combined with their involvement with community service projects throughout their careers. They manage these important aspects of their college experience and have been remarkable in their approach and the successes they continue to achieve. We are very proud of what they have accomplished and how connected and involved they are with our University community. They are great examples of what a true student-athlete should be."
All athletes earned All-Conference honors at the A-10 Championship on Oct. 30.
For the second consecutive year, George Washington's Megan Hogan was named the A-10 Women's Student Athlete of the Year. She won her second straight A-10 Championship in a league record time of 16:56, breaking the previous record by 27 seconds. Hogan majors in interior design and has a 3.62 grade point average. The team rounds out with Charlotte's Laura McCary and Maureen Bulgrin, and Dayton's Liz Coorey.
Dayton's Chris Lemon claims the A-10 Men's Student Athlete of the Year award; also for the second year in a row. Lemon finished second at the 2010 A-10 Championships (24:17), helping Dayton to a third-place finish. This is the third year Lemon has been named to the Academic All-Conference team. A four-time A-10 Performer of the Week, Lemon is an education and Spanish double-major with a 3.93 grade point average. He was also Dayton's 2009 Presidential Scholar Athlete. The men's team also includes Dayton teammate Matt Lemon and Duquesne's Jim Spisak.
For the A-10's full article, click here.
