March 2, 2005

Seven Duquesne University student-athletes were named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference teams for the sports of indoor track and field and swimming. Leading the list is senior Deidre Rodeheaver (Danville, PA/Danville), who was also named the Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year for women's swimming. Joining her are junior teammates Amy Gersbach (Tabernacle, NJ/Shawnee) and Jillian Rupinski (Harrison City, PA/Penn-Trafford), men's swimmers sophomore Scott Darwin (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) and junior Doug Yeager (Dallas, PA/Dallas) as well as track participants senior Sarah Fetterman (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) and junior Melissa Stewart (Indiana, PA/Indiana).

Rodeheaver earns her third straight Academic All-Conference accolade and her first Student-Athlete of the Year honor after posting a 3.84 cumulative grade point average in accounting. She swam a leg of the 400-yard medley relay which placed third at the 2005 Atlantic 10 Swimming & Diving Championships in a school-record time of 3:54.97 and finished in the top 10 in both the 50-yard freestyle (24.81) and 100-yard freestyle (53.71) at A-10's. She holds the school records in both events, along with all five relay records. She was also a 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District choice.

Gersbach finished 11th overall and first for Duquesne in the 400-yard individual medley at the Atlantic 10 Championship with a time of 4:40.35. She was also first for DU and 11th overall at A-10's in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 18.01.42 while leading Duquesne and finishing 17th overall in the 500-yard freestyle at the Atlantic 10 Championship with a time of 5:12.91. She swam season-best times in all three events at the Akron Invitational. Gersbach has a 3.80 secondary education/mathematics

Rupinski is an elementary education major with a 3.86 gpa and earns her second A-10 academic award. She placed tenth in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Atlantic 10 Championship with a time of 1:07.79 while setting a school record in the event at the Akron Invitational with a 1:06.35. In addition, she finished 12th in the 200-yard breaststroke at A-10's with a time of 2:27.21 while setting a school record in the 200-breast at the Akron Invite with a time of 2:23.71. Rupinski also helped set a new Duquesne record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:48.32 at the Akron Invitational.

Darwin was named the Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Performer after capturing two gold medals and a bronze at the four-day event. He won the 100-yard backstroke in a school record time of 51.07 on Friday and the 200-yard backstroke in a school record time of 1:50.96 on Saturday. He also captured a bronze medal as he placed third in the 50-yard freestyle with a Duquesne season-best time of 21.24 on Thursday. He boasts a 3.19 gpa in environmental science management.

Yeager earns his second Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference honor after participating in seven different events on for Duquesne this year. Highlighting the season were a 15th-place finish in the 100 backstroke at the Atlantic 10 Championship with a time of 54.46 and placing 17th in the 200 backstroke at A-10's with a season-best time of 1:58.37. Yeager is a pharmacy major with a 3.50 grade point average.

Fetterman, a pharmacy major with a 3.97 grade point average, earns her third A-10 academic award after posting a perfect 4.00 for the Fall '04 semester. She won silver in the pole vault at the 2005 A-10 indoor championship and set a new Duquesne record in the pole vault with a distance of 11' 6.00" at this year's Akron Invitational. Fetterman was also a 2004 CoSIDA District 2 Track/XC Academic All-America and a 2004 A-10 outdoor Academic All-Conference choice.

Stewart, a 2004 A-10 outdoor Academic All-Conference pick and 2004 CoSIDA District 2 Track/XC Academic All-America, posted a perfect 4.00 for the Fall '04 semester to give her a 3.94 cumulative gpa in chemistry. She won a silver medal in the shot put with a school-record toss of 44' 3.50" at the 2005 A-10 indoor championship and was eight in the weight throw. Stewart has the second-best performance in the A-10 this season in the shot put and ranks in the top 10 in the weight throw.