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News Release

Alice Chen Earns Academic All-America Honor

6/11/2010

BALTIMORE- UMBC tennis standout Alice Chen (North Potomac, Md./Quince Orchard) has been named to the 2009-10 CoSida/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America University Division Women’s At-Large Second Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America Thursday, June 10.

 

Chen was honored as the 2010 female recipient of the UMBC Matt Skalsky Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award at UMBC Athletics’ Varsity Awards Banquet in early May. She was one of six women’s tennis players in the America East Conference to earn a spot on the league’s All-Academic team. Playing at the No. 1 singles slot, she posted a brilliant record of 16-6 in her senior campaign. A repeat winner from the spring of 2009, she was a second-team all-conference selection in doubles competition and earned her degree with a 4.00 grade-point average in biochemistry and molecular biology.

 

She will be attending the University of Maryland's School of Medicine this fall and recently became UMBC’s sixth recipient in the last ten years of the Maryland Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics postgraduate scholarship award.

 

Chen becomes the 18th Academic All-America honoree in 24 years of NCAA Division I competition and the award is UMBC’s 23rd citation overall. Retriever junior swimmer Keilan Freeman was also a second team selection this week and 2009 marks the fifth year that two UMBC student-athletes have been cited. The last time a pair of Retrievers received honors was 2002, when tennis’ Kathryn Wheatley and track and field’s Cleopatra Borel earned recognition.

 

Of the 18 citations, Chen earns the sixth award for the women’s tennis program. The UMBC baseball program and women’s cross country/track program have each received three awards.  

 

The Women’s At-Large program for Academic All-America® includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, tennis and water polo.To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 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.