Army West Point Athletics
Mooradian, Petrella Named Academic All-Americans
June 27, 2019 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas – Army West Point juniors Lynne Mooradian and Ben Petrella were among the 30 student athletes named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division I Cross Country/Track & Field First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The honor marks the second consecutive selection for Mooradian, who headlined the awards with the highest individual honor in 2018. The Hanover, Pa., native claimed Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in 2019. The junior carries a 4.21 GPA and majors in mechanical engineering.
Petrella earned his first selection to the top unit after being named to the third team in 2018. He was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year following the cross country season. The Liverpool, N.Y., native majors in Physics and carries a 4.01 GPA.
"During the recruiting process with Ben Petrella it became evident that we were working on a special kid," Smith said. "He had narrowed his choices down to Harvard and West Point and we weren't sure which way he was going to go. He checked all of the boxes when it comes to athletic performance. He was a Gatorade Runner of the Year, he was a state champion and a high school All-American. He was also a scholar. We felt like we had a shot but you can never be certain with recruiting. So when he called to tell me he was coming to West Point and said, 'Harvard would be just going to college and I want more than that', I knew that we were getting more than just a good runner and more than just a good student. True to his word, he has embraced everything that the academy represents and in doing so, he has piled up a number of leadership, athletic, and academic accolades in the ensuing three years at the Academy and this Academic All-American award is testament to his hard work, his brilliance and his commitment to high achievement. He is an inspirational leader on our team and will be a star in our Army. He is the type of young man that you just want to be around because he makes everyone else feel good about themselves. There is much more that he wants to accomplish so I think we may be talking about him again sometime in the near future but for right now this is well deserved recognition for his hard work."
Among the 90 student-athletes selected to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division I Cross Country/Track & Field teams, 20 men and 33 women carry a 4.0 grade-point average or higher, including all 15 women on the first team. The 15 members of the men's cross country/track & field first team carry an average GPA of 3.98, while the women's team carry a 4.04 GPA.
The full list of recipients can be found at : https://academicallamerica.com/news/2019/6/26/2018-19-google-cloud-academic-all-america-ncaa-division-i-m-w-track-field-cross-country-teams-announced.aspx
The honor marks the second consecutive selection for Mooradian, who headlined the awards with the highest individual honor in 2018. The Hanover, Pa., native claimed Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in 2019. The junior carries a 4.21 GPA and majors in mechanical engineering.
"It comes as no surprise to me that Lynne was named an Academic All-American again," Head Coach Mike Smith said. "I am almost out of words of praise to describe her. She has been exceptional at this institution since she arrived and there is no reason to think that will change anytime soon. She does not seek this sort of acclaim, the great ones rarely do. She quietly takes care of business on the track, in the corps of cadets and in the classroom. She is brilliant in every way that you could imagine. She has common sense, she is disciplined, she is efficient with her time, she is compassionate, she leads by example and she knows how to solve problems. She is a remarkable young woman."
Petrella earned his first selection to the top unit after being named to the third team in 2018. He was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year following the cross country season. The Liverpool, N.Y., native majors in Physics and carries a 4.01 GPA.
"During the recruiting process with Ben Petrella it became evident that we were working on a special kid," Smith said. "He had narrowed his choices down to Harvard and West Point and we weren't sure which way he was going to go. He checked all of the boxes when it comes to athletic performance. He was a Gatorade Runner of the Year, he was a state champion and a high school All-American. He was also a scholar. We felt like we had a shot but you can never be certain with recruiting. So when he called to tell me he was coming to West Point and said, 'Harvard would be just going to college and I want more than that', I knew that we were getting more than just a good runner and more than just a good student. True to his word, he has embraced everything that the academy represents and in doing so, he has piled up a number of leadership, athletic, and academic accolades in the ensuing three years at the Academy and this Academic All-American award is testament to his hard work, his brilliance and his commitment to high achievement. He is an inspirational leader on our team and will be a star in our Army. He is the type of young man that you just want to be around because he makes everyone else feel good about themselves. There is much more that he wants to accomplish so I think we may be talking about him again sometime in the near future but for right now this is well deserved recognition for his hard work."
Among the 90 student-athletes selected to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division I Cross Country/Track & Field teams, 20 men and 33 women carry a 4.0 grade-point average or higher, including all 15 women on the first team. The 15 members of the men's cross country/track & field first team carry an average GPA of 3.98, while the women's team carry a 4.04 GPA.
The full list of recipients can be found at : https://academicallamerica.com/news/2019/6/26/2018-19-google-cloud-academic-all-america-ncaa-division-i-m-w-track-field-cross-country-teams-announced.aspx
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