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News Release

Dana Shepherd Earns Academic All-District First Team Honors for Third Straight Year

5/12/2008

Dana Shepherd earned Academic All-District Honors for the third year in a row.

BALTIMORE—UMBC senior infielder Dana Shepherd (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District II University Division First Team for the third year in a row, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced last week. Shepherd now advances to the national ballot, where she will compete with members of each all-district first team for Academic All-America recognition.

Shepherd batted .297 this season with 49 hits and a team-best 41 runs scored. She also hit nine home runs, four doubles and four triples, posted 29 RBI and stole 11 bases in 12 attempts. Shepherd led the America East in runs and also ranked among the league leaders in slugging percentage (.533), triples, homers and total bases (88). She was even better in America East play, batting .406 and blasting seven of her nine home runs, including one against every conference opponent except Vermont.

The team co-captain has made her mark in UMBC’s record book, setting the school record for career extra-base hits at 80 and ranking among the Retrievers’ all-time top 10 in runs (2nd, 171), total bases (2nd, 383), doubles (T-3rd, 44), hits (4th, 239), home runs (4th, 28), RBI (4th, 132), stolen bases (5th, 51) and triples (T-5th, 8). In addition, she is one of just four Retrievers ever to play in and start 200 or more games and receive 700 or more at-bats.

Last week, Shepherd was named one of two Outstanding Senior Female Athletes at UMBC’s varsity awards banquet, and she also earned America East All-Championship honors at the conference tournament over the weekend. In March, she was selected as one of 30 candidates nationally for the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Softball Award, which recognizes well-rounded student-athletes.

Shepherd excels in the classroom, as well. The financial economics major has posted a 3.66 cumulative grade-point average and has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in her major. She was named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of the last two seasons, and she has earned Dean’s List recognition in four of her seven completed semesters.

The Academic All-District II team in the university division consists of one catcher, four infielders, four outfielders, two pitchers and one designated player from Division-I schools in Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The Retrievers finished the season 25-29 overall and 12-9 in conference action. Seeded fourth in the America East Championships, UMBC defeated No. 2 Boston University but was eliminated by three-time defending champion Albany on Friday.