Bechtol, Bishop Named CAA Scholar-Athletes of the Year For Fourth Time

Seniors Led Tribe Cross Country Teams In Record-Setting Year

12/21/06 9:54PM

RICHMOND, VA - The Colonial Athletic Association announced the winners of its Scholar-Athlete awards for the fall season today, and for the fourth time in a row two of William and Mary’s finest and fastest were honored.

Senior Keith Bechtol (Alexandira, Va.) was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s cross country for the second year in a row after leading the Tribe in two of his three races in 2006. Also a two-time winner of the track and field Scholar-Athlete award, Bechtol is a physics major at the College, and leads the team with a 3.95 grade-point average. He finished 22nd at the Brooks Pre-National Invitational in a field of 34 teams, including 11 ranked in the national top 30. Bechtol also led the Tribe at the Southeast Regional, finishing seventh to earn his first career all-region honor, as W&M upset two ranked teams to take second and return to the NCAA Championships for the tenth year in a row. At the national meet, Bechtol was second on the team and finished 60th overall in the field of 255. A third-team Academic All-American in 2005-06, Bechtol was selected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society in December.

Senior Meghan Bishop (Blue Bell, Pa.) also earned her fourth CAA Scholar-Athlete nod today, her second in women’s cross country. One of the team’s top runners in her four years in Williamsburg, Bishop capped her cross country career by leading the Tribe in four of five races and brought the College its fourth consecutive CAA title and the runner-up trophy at the ECAC Championships. At the CAA Championships, she had her best finish ever, placing second to become only the seventh runner in school history to earn four all-conference awards (given to the top 12 finishers). She also led the team with a valiant effort at the NCAA Regional, placing 28th. At the ECAC Championships, Bishop took fourth to earn All-East accolades for the second time in her career, and lead the Tribe to a program-best second-place finish, only four points from taking the crown.

The CAA names a Scholar-Athlete of the Year in each of its 21 championship sports, as well as an overall male and female Scholar-Athlete of the Year from among the 21 winners. Bechtol and Bishop are the only athletes in the history of the four-year program to earn more than two honors.