RELEASE DATE: 6/01/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Walker and Cummings Earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Honors

Charity Walker can't run away from recognition of her outstanding achievements at Mansfield just yet, as the recent graduate picked up another honor Thursday afternoon. Walker was named to ESPN The Magazine's District 2 Academic All-District First Team for her incredible performances on the track and more importantly in the classroom. Walker graduated in early May with a degree in Environmental Biology and an astonishing 3.96 cumulative grade point average. In the course of her four year career at Mansfield, she earned 120 credits while receiving only two A-'s to accompany an unprecedented number of A's.

Charity ended her career at Mansfield this season by breaking her own 3000 meter steeplechase and 5000 meter records. Her steeplechase time was impressive enough to qualify her for the NCAA Division II National Championships, where she ran her last race as a Mountaineer last Thursday in Emporia, Kansas.

The First Team Academic All-District award makes Charity eligible to become an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. The voting for the 2006 Academic All-America Team begins June 6th.

Like Charity, Chris Cummings seems to find himself in the spotlight quite often lately. Cummings, who just recently finished second in the 1500 at the NCAA Division II National Championships earning him All-American honors, was also voted to The ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District Team. Cummings, who carries an impressive 3.58 cumulative grade point average while dual majoring in Physics and Math, earned District 2 Second Team honors.

The list of accomplishments for Cummings continues to grow. Just before the National Championships, Cummings was named the NCAA Division II East Region Track Athlete of the Year.

Cummings will return next year to captain the Mountaineer cross country and track and field teams in his final year.