June 1, 2006
Duquesne University's Samantha Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon), Kristen Micsky (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds), Melissa Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and Bob Healy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) have been named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine District 2 Cross Country / Track & Field Academic All-America Team as announced by the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Howard, Stewart and Healy are first team honorees while Micsky takes second team accolades. Healy, Howard and Stewart will now appear on the national ballot which will be released June 20 for the men and June 22 for the women's team. District 2 is made up of Division I student-athletes from Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia.
Stewart earns her second District 2 citation as she was named to the 2003-04 squad. She was named one of 10 Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference picks this season and secures the Dukes' throws. Stewart and boasts a 3.97 grade point average majoring in health management systems. She won silver in the discus, fifth in the shot put and seventh in the hammer at the 2006 Atlantic 10 outdoor championship. A 2003 and 2004 NCAA regional qualifier in the discus, she earned All-East honors in 2003 taking sixth in the discus at the ECAC Championship. Stewart has been an ECAC qualifier each season and holds the Dukes' school record in the indoor shot put (44' 3.50") and the outdoor marks in the shot put (45' 8.50") and discus (160' 9"). A Dean's List student, she is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, SAAC, Pre-Health Student Organization, Director of Athletics' and A-10 Commissioner's Honor Rolls.
Howard owns a 3.96 grade point average as a history major and is the only sophomore to be named on either the first or second team. At the 2006 A-10 outdoor championship, she took bronze in the 1,500 meter; fourth running the 4th leg of the 4 x 800 meter relay and fifth in the 5,000 meter. She crossed 17th in 5,000 meter at the `06 ECACs. She was 12th at the ECAC cross country championship, took 26th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet and was 27th at the Atlantic 10 cross country championship. The ECAC qualifier took 18th in the mile in 2004-05. She is a member of the Dean's List, Director of Athletics' and A-10 Commissioner's Honor Rolls, Phi Eta Sigma, Kappa Delta Epsilon education fraternity and is the membership chairman of the Student Council for Exceptional Children.
Micsky earns her first District 2 Academic All-America honor boasting a 3.53 GPA as a graduate student majoring in occupational therapy. She scored in each of her events at the 2006 A-10 outdoor championship after taking silver in the high jump with a school-record mark of 5' 7"; fourth in the triple jump and fifth as a member of the 4 x 400 meter relay. She has been an ECAC qualifier in the high, long and triple jumps and was an NCAA Regional qualifier in 2005 in the triple jump and 400 meter hurdles. Micsky was named the 2005 A-10 Outdoor Most Outstanding Field performer after taking gold in the 400 meter hurdles, long and triple jumps. She was a 2005 outdoor A-10 Academic All-Conference pick and owns the Duquesne indoor record as a member of the 4 x 400 meter relay and outdoor standards in the 40 x 400 meter relay, long jump and triple jump.
Duquesne's three honorees are the most of any District 2 school and brings the total number of District picks to 17 this season for the Dukes.
To be eligible for the Academic All-America award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore at their institution, be a starter or important reserve and have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale).
Healy was honored as the Atlantic 10 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year and named to the A-10 Academic All-Conference list. Healy receives the honors after winning three medals at the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship. He captured first place at A-10's and qualified for the IC4A Championship and NCAA Regional Championship in the discus with a toss of 160 feet, seven inches. He also placed second in the shot put and third in the hammer throw at A-10's to tally 24 team points for the Dukes. Earlier in the season Healy set a school record in the shot put with a throw of 52-4.75 at the CMU Invitational. A four-year letterman in both track and football, Healy posted a 3.45 grade point average as an undergraduate and has a 4.00 gpa through seven graduate courses.
