The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Kilmartin named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team
06.25.2007 | Track & Field / Cross Country m, Track & Field / Cross Country
AUSTIN, Texas -- For the second consecutive season, three-time NCAA heptathlon champion and Texas senior Donovan Kilmartin was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America. The only three-time men's heptathlon champion in NCAA history made the university division first-team in the men's cross country/track and field category.
"It's a great honor for Donovan," said Texas men's track and field and 2008 USA Olympic head coach Bubba Thornton. "He's been very focused and done the work to attain his success and achievements. As a coach, those are the things that make you proud because that is what the student-athletes are here to do ­ to learn and to compete at the highest level. It's just a great example of what the University of Texas is all about."
Kilmartin completed his indoor eligibility with a national championship in the heptathlon. The former NCAA heptathlon record holder scored 5,998 points with one individual event win and four top-five performances.
Kilmartin is on track to graduate in August. The six-time All-American and two-time Academic All-American holds a 3.49 grade point average in petroleum engineering. Of the 15-member first-team, Kilmartin is one of two repeat first-team selections alongside Oregon's Galen Rupp. Kilmartin has been accepted to UT's masters program in engineering and will compete for the Longhorns during the 2007 outdoor season.
The Academic All-America program annually honors over 1600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America& honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
