SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Ten members of the Syracuse University women's track & field team were named All-Academic honorees by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their excellence in the classroom and on the track.

Graduate-student Nana Sang-Bender, seniors Lauren Penney, Melissa Romero, Stefanie Slekis and Maegan Krifchin, juniors Catherine DeSarle and Katie Hursey, sophomores Heather Stephens and Natalie Busby, and freshman Kimberly Spano each earned a spot of the list.

To reach this tremendous feat, a student-athlete must compile a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher through the second semester of the 2009-10 academic year. They must also have met the NCAA Division I automatic or provisional qualifying standards or participated in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (including preliminary rounds) in their respective event. The list was comprised of a record total of 551 Division I women, representing 150 institutions.

Sang-Bender, an international relations major, earned a fourth-place finish in the 5,000m event at the Princeton Larry Ellis Invitational with a time of 16:44.35.

Penney, a dual event qualifier, placed eighth in the 1,500m at the Joe Hilton UNC Invitational with a time of 4:23.70. She ran the 5,000m event in 16:33.97 at the Stanford Invite earning her a 16th place finish.

Romero, a newspaper journalism major, tied for third place in the high jump at the Penn Relays with a height of 1.75m.

Slekis, a public relations major, earned a second-place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Princeton Larry Ellis Invitational with a time of 10:20.68.

Krifchin, a health and exercise science major, finished eighth in the 1,500m at the Joe Hilton UNC Invitational. Her time of 4:22.65 shaved nearly four seconds off the school record.

DeSarle, a chemistry major, finished second in the 10,000m run at the Stanford Invite. Her record breaking time of 34:17.09 was nearly 46 seconds faster than the previous school record.

Hursey, a health and exercise science major, earned a sixth-place finish at the Stanford Invite. Her time of 16:24.82 broke the previous school record by more than 17 seconds.

Stephens, an inclusive education major, placed third in the 3,000m steeplechase at the ECAC meet. Her school record breaking time of 10:14.04 snapped the previous record by nearly 20 seconds.

Busby, a biology major, finished fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Princeton Larry Ellis Invitational with a time of 10:29.41.

Spano, an inclusive and special education major, secured a third-place finish after running the 5,000m event in a time of 16:38.47 at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational.