Rice's Daniels Named to Academic All-America First Team

HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 27, 2008) Rice University distance runner senior Marissa Daniels has been selected to the prestigious 2008 ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team for women's track and field and cross country. In 2007, Daniels was named to the Academic All-America Second Team.

From Pearland, Texas, Daniels holds a 3.86 grade point average (GPA) in kinesiology (sports medicine). She will be attending UT-Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas.

Academically, Daniels recently received a Conference USA Post-graduate Scholarship Award worth $4,000. She also was a 2007 and 2008 C-USA Academic Medal recipient; Rice University President's Honor Roll member for fall 2005, spring 2006, fall 2006, fall 2007, and spring 2008. A member of 2005 and 2006 Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-America team; 2006 and 2007 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team; 2007 and 2008 C-USA All-Academic Team; 2007 C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year - women's cross country; three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll; 2007 and 2008 Rice University Scholar Athlete for Women's Track & Field; and the 2008 "R" Association Postgraduate Scholarship

This season on the track Daniels held C-USA's top time in the 10,000m with NCAA provisional time of 34:07.60 (Mt. SAC, 4/18). She won the 10,000m title at the C-USA Outdoor Championship with a time of 36:22.93 and She finished second in the 5000m. Daniels also placed fourth at the C-USA Indoor Championship in the 3000m and placed seventh in the 5000m. At the C-USA Cross Country Championship, Daniels finished third with a time of 17:50.3.

Daniels' efforts helped the Rice Owls win Conference USA team titles in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field this past season.

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. 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.