Keith Bechtol Named to CoSIDA All-Academic District Team

Junior Will Be Forwarded for All-American Ballot

05/31/06 4:16PM

WILLIAMSBURG - Junior distance ace Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, VA) was honored for his academic prowess today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). In conjunction with ESPN The Magazine, CoSIDA sponsors the Academic All-America program each year, naming students in 11 sports and one “At-Large” category to Academic All-District and Academic All-American teams for both universities (Division I) and colleges (Divisions II, III, and NAIA). Scholar-Athletes who are named to the All-District first team get forwarded to the national ballot, where first, second, and third-time All-Americans are voted on.

Bechtol was named to the District III first team for the second consecutive year. A physics major when not training or competing, Bechtol has compiled a 3.95 GPA and was named a Goldwater Scholar last spring. He has had the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of science, participating in research at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory in Newport News, at Cornell, and at the FermiLab facilities in Batavia, Illinois, and Soudan, Minnesota. A previous recipient of the DeWilde Fellowship research grant, Bechtol has been honored by the Colonial Athletic Association as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year for track as well as for cross country in 2005.

Bechtol has been just as impressive in competition. This season, he set the meet record in the 10,000m at the CAA Championships, winning his second conference title. He was also named All-East for taking third in the 10,000m at the IC4A Championships. In cross country, he was a member of the varsity squad at every race. He earned All-CAA honors by placing 10th at the conference championships, and placed 36th in the team’s victory at the Southeast Regional. He was the sixth Tribe runner across the finish line at the NCAA Championships.

Along with the other nine first-team selections from District III (universities in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida), Bechtol’s name will be forwarded to the national ballot for possible selection to an Academic All-American team. The national honorees will be announced on Tuesday, June 20.