June 23, 2011

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Graduate student Brittany Burns (Watertown, N.Y.) of the Marist women's track and field team was named CoSIDA/Capital One Second Team All-American on Thursday. Burns is the first Marist women's track and field athlete to be named Academic All-American in school history, and she is the fourth Marist student-athlete to earn the distinction this year.

Burns joins Joe Touloumis of men's soccer (first team), Ricky Pacione of baseball (second team) and Erin Betsch of women's lacrosse (second team) as Marist's Academic All-Americans in the 2010-11 school year. The total of four selections is a single-season school record.

This season, Burns capped her career by setting school records in the steeplechase (10:43.41) and 5K (17:10.60) in the outdoor season, as well as the mile (5:00.64) and distance medley relay (11:54.75) indoors. In 2010, Burns was the female recipient of the President's Academic Achievement Award -- presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average -- at Marist's senior awards banquet.

Burns, along with Allie Burke of volleyball, are the only student-athletes in school history to have been named First Team Academic All-District three times. Burns is pursuing her Master's in Educational Psychology.

Marist's All-Time Academic All-Americans
2010-11
Brittany Burns, women's track & field (Second Team)
Erin Betsch, women's lacrosse (Second Team)
Ricky Pacione, baseball (Second Team)
Joe Touloumis, men's soccer (First Team)
2009-10
Rachele Fitz, women's basketball (Third Team)
Joe Touloumis, men's soccer (Second Team)
2008-09
Melissa Giordano, softball (Third Team)
Ryan Schneider, men's basketball (Second Team)
2007-08
Mike Rolek, track & field (Third Team)
2002-03
Viktor Sapezhnikov, men's tennis (First Team)
David Bennett, men's basketball (Second Team)
Jenny Shanks, women's soccer (Second Team)
1999-2000
Amanda Koldjeski, softball (Second Team)
1994-95
Gregg Chodkowski, men's basketball (Third Team)