June 14, 2001

Luebbering Repeats as First-Team Academic All-America; Potts Picked for Third-Team Honors

Two Truman State University female athletes were named today to the Verizon Academic All-America Women's Spring At-large teams for the College Division, as selected by CoSIDA.

Junior track & field athlete Beth Luebbering (St. Thomas, Mo./Helias) earned first-team Verizon Academic All-America honors for the second straight year. Senior Laura Potts (Quincy, Ill.), a member of the Bulldog women's golf squad, was named to the third team.

Luebbering, who carries a 3.96 GPA in Agricultural Science/Pre-Veterinary Studies, competed in her third NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships meet last month. A two-time outdoor all-America in the 10,000-meter run, Luebbering placed 15th in the event at this year's national meet. Earlier this year, she claimed her third consecutive outdoor conference title in the 10,000 meters, and, in all, has won a combined 10 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championships in indoor and outdoor track. Luebbering is also one of the Bulldogs' top cross country athletes, and this year placed 11th at the MIAA Championships, helping Truman to its first ever conference crown in the sport. She was an academic all-America by the Division II Cross Country Coaches Association.

In April, Luebbering was named the University's Outstanding Student in Agricultural Science. She was a third-team Verizon Academic All-America in fall/winter at-large balloting earlier this season.

Potts, who maintained a 4.00 GPA in nursing, recently completed her collegiate golf career with the Bulldogs and was named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Golf Team for the third straight year. She was also a MIAA Presidential Scholar and a member of the MIAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.

This year, Potts averaged 88.9 strokes per round, including a mark of 86.7 strokes in the fall. She competed in nine of 12 tournaments this year for the 'Dogs and carded a career-best 82 in the opening competition of the fall, a dual with William Woods.

Potts was selected as Truman's Outstanding Student in Nursing in April of this year.