May 27, 2004

Four Bulldogs Receive First-Team Academic All-District Honors

The CoSIDA Academic All-District VII at-large teams were announced today and four Truman athletes received first-team honors. On the men's side, golfer Austin George (Wichita, Kan./Andover) received the honor. On the women's team, all three Bulldog nominees earned first-team honors in swimmers Diana Betsworth (East Moline, Ill./United Township) and Sarah Dance (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) and tennis player Abigail Souders (Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount). All four of the award winners are juniors and they will now advance to the national ballot.

George was second on the Bulldogs' golf team this past year with a 77.8 average. During the season, he took medalist honors at the Heart of America Golf Classic after shooting a three-round score of 217, including a career-high 70 in the second-round. He earned MIAA player of the week honors after that victory. George also played a big role in the Bulldogs winning the Central Region Fall Invitational and finishing as the runner-up at the NCAA regional competition.

George, who is business administration major with a 3.92 GPA, was also a first-team academic all-district selection last season. He has twice been named to the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll and was named a MIAA presidential school in 2002.

Betsworth earned seven all-American awards at the NCAA swimming championship this past season, helping Truman claim its fourth straight NCAA Championship. She was a member of the national champion 400-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay teams and helped the 400-yard freestyle relay team come in second and the 200-yard freestyle relay squad come in fourth. As an individual, she was the NCAA runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle events and she placed 5th in the 100-yard freestyle race.

Betsworth, who was named to the CoSIDA academic team for the first time, is an exercise science major with a 3.91 GPA. She has twice been named to the academic all-MIAA, the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll and the CSCAA academic all-American team. In 2002, she was also named an MIAA presidential scholar.

Dance also earned seven all-American awards in helping Truman win the NCAA women's swimming championship. She was a national champion as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team. In other relays, she helped the Bulldogs finish fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay and second in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Dance was also second in the 400-yard IM race and third in the 200-yard IM, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle events.

Dance, who has a 4.00 GPA while studying exercise science, was the only repeat selection on the academic all-district first-team and she also earned CoSIDA academic all-American first-team honors last season. Dance has also been named every season to the CSCAA academic all-American list, as a MIAA presidential scholar, an academic all-MIAA and has twice been named to the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll.

Souders, a three-time all-conference performer, led the Truman tennis team this past season with a 25-10 record while playing at the No. 3 singles spot. She also recorded a 13-14 record with three different doubles partners. Souders received all-MIAA honorable mention honors at No. 3 singles and earned MIAA player of the week honors once during the year.

Souders, a second-team academic all-district selection last season, is an exercise science major with a 3.95 GPA. She has twice been named to the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll and academic all-MIAA two times and was a MIAA presidential scholar in 2002.

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