PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland Pilots sophomore guard and mechanical engineering major Tara Cronin has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine/CoSida Academic All-District Third Team. This is the first academic honor for Cronin, who is Portland’s top rebounder this season.
Cronin has led the Pilots in rebounding a team-high 10 times this year and is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and is third in the conference and tops on the squad in free throw shooting with a percentage of .823 (51-for-62). Cronin has stepped up offensively during conference play, averaging 12.6 points per WCC contest. The Spokane, Wash., native recorded a career-high 20 points at Santa Clara on Jan. 17 and posted her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds during the season-opening win at Utah State. The 10 boards are also a career high.
The Pilots, who are 12-10 overall, are currently enjoying their best conference start (5-2) since the 1996-97 season. Portland sits in second place in the WCC and will be looking for its fifth straight WCC road win at league-leading Gonzaga on Sunday. The Pilots and Bulldogs are set to tip-off at 1:00 p.m. at the McCarthey Center.
Academic All-District 8 - University Division
First Team:
Elizabeth Doran - Santa Clara
Jami Schaefer - Gonzaga
Kyla Evans - Eastern Washington
Kelsey Kahle - Portland State
Brittany Halberg - UNLV
Second Team:
Cassie King - Brigham Young
Hayley Munro - Fresno State
Lauren Sims - Long Beach State
Kate Engelbrecht - Arizona State
Talisa Rhea - Oregon State
Third Team:
Katie Appleton - Washington State
Kate DePaepe - Portland State
Miranda Ayim - Pepperdine
Anne Westwood Higbee - Southern Utah
Claire Faucher - Portland State
Tara Cronin - Portland
