A trio of University of Alabama student-athletes were named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, according to an announcement made Wednesday, June 5.
Junior gymnast Kim Jacob and junior golfer Stephanie Meadow were named to the first team, while senior tennis player Antonia Foehse was named to the second team.
“Due to the number of sports that are in the mix when it comes to the Academic All-America At-Large Team, it is a very tough honor to get,” UA Associate Athletics Director for Student Services Jon Dever said. “On top of that, each school can only nominate three student-athletes. So to have Kim, Stephanie and Antonia all earn this prestigious honor speaks volumes about the level of excellence they have achieved both athletically and academically.”
Alabama is the only school in the nation to have two student-athletes on the 15-member first team and one of just two schools to have all three nominees earn a place on the overall list. Alabama was the only school with all three honorees on the first and second team as Navy, the other school with three, had one each on the first, second and third teams. The Capital One Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team includes student-athletes from 13 sports – bowling, rowing, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo.
A member of the Tide’s 2011 and 2012 NCAA Championship gymnastics team, Jacob is a seven-time All-American who has twice been named the SEC Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She earned the 2013 NCAA Elite 89 Award, which goes to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point at each of the NCAA’s national championships, and led the Tide to its third top-three finish in as many years this season. A two-year Scholastic All-American, Jacob is the 2013 NCAA Regional Uneven Bars and Balance Beam Champion and captain of the 2013 squad. A native of Raleigh, N.C., she carries a 4.0 career GPA in exercise science.
Meadow led the nation this season with a school-record 71.24 scoring average and became the first Alabama player to be selected as a three-time, first-team All-American. The 2013 SEC Women’s Golf Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three-time All-SEC selection, Meadow helped lead the Tide to its first NCAA Championship in 2012. She holds the school record for career tournament wins with seven, including the 2013 SEC and NCAA Regional Championship and the 2011 NCAA East Regional championship. A two-time National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar, she is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. The Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, native carries a 4.0 GPA in accounting.
The 2013 Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Foehse helped lead the Tide to the NCAA Championship round of 16, clinching a team-best six matches in 2013. A two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors and also earned the ITA Southern Region Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship this season. The Waldbroel, Germany, native is a member of the Emerging Tide Leaders program. She is also captain of this year’s squad and was nationally ranked in doubles while carrying a 3.98 career GPA in psychology.
The Tide has been extremely prolific when it comes to the women’s Academic All-America at-large team, earning 13 honors over the past six years alone. This season also marks the second time in the past three years that Alabama has been the only school with two first-team honorees and three overall honorees between the first and second at-large teams.
