Two From W&M Named to USTFCCCA All-Academic Track Team

Keith Bechtol, Ian Fitzgerald Honored for Tribe

07/09/07 4:05PM

NEW ORLEANS, LA - The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association included two scholar-athletes from William and Mary on its national All-Academic Track teams for 2007, it was announced on Monday.

Senior Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, Va.) earned his second national academic award of the spring with his selection, after being named a First-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors Association last week. Bechtol was 14th at the NCAA Championships in the 10,000m, missing All-American honors by a single second. A Phi Beta Kappa initiate, Bechtol graduated magna cum laude in May with a degree in physics.

Junior Ian Fitzgerald (Glenshaw, Pa.) was also selected by the USTFCCCA for honors, as he qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 5,000m with a time of 13:57.35, seventh-best in school history. Fitzgerald was an IC4A Champion indoors after running the final leg of 1,600m in the distance medley relay, and outdoors, qualified the Tribe into the finals of the 4x800m relay, where the team (sans Fitzgerald) would win another IC4A title with the 13th-best time in the United States this year.

Inclusion on the USTFCCCA All-Academic track teams required athletes to have a grade-point average of 3.25 or better, and to achieve either (1) a provisional or automatic qualification to the NCAA Championships (indoor or outdoor), or (2) a qualifying time for the NCAA outdoor regionals. Both Bechtol and Fitzgerald were also selected to the USTFCCCA All-Academic cross country team in the fall.