Patriot-News Feature On Spence

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Neely Spence was selected to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Women's Track & Field/Cross Country First Team for the College Division of District II, which encompasses all Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Spence, a human communication studies major who is also seeking a minor in coaching, finished her fourth collegiate semester with a 3.80 grade-point average (GPA). By virtue of her first-team selection, Spence will now advance to the national ballot for consideration as a national All-American.

During the outdoor season, Spence defended her 5K national championship with a time of 16:14.23 that was just short of her own school record in the event. Through two seasons of collegiate competition, Spence is a five-time All-American in track and field and a four-time national champion. She has run the 5K three times on the national stage and never lost.

Spence was a three-time All-PSAC athlete in outdoor competition and won two conference titles, including a victory in the 3K by a margin of 22 seconds. She contributed 28 points to a Shippensburg squad that recorded a meet-record 212.5 points and was an integral factor in the program becoming the first in the history of the PSAC to achieve a Triple Crown by winning the cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field championships in the same calendar year since the PSAC began sponsoring an indoor championship in 2002.

She also won the 5K national title at the 2010 Indoor Track and Field Championships and was the anchor leg of the DMR squad that earned All-American status with a second-place finish. She was the PSAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Co-Track Athlete of the Year as well as the Track and Overall MVP of the PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships after winning all three events in which she competed. Spence also set conference records in both the indoor and outdoor 4x800-meter relay events as well as the outdoor PSAC record in the 3K.

In cross country, Spence was the PSAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season and helped lead the Lady Raiders to their fourth overall PSAC and regional titles in school history and second straight. She won the PSAC and Atlantic Region individual championships during the postseason and also won individual titles at the prestigious Brooks Paul Short Run and the Penn State National Invitational.

Spence, a Winter Top 10 award winner this season, is a 13-time PSAC placewinner, 13-time All-PSAC competitor and 11-time PSAC champion. She has helped set nine school records, five PSAC records and an NCAA meet record during her still-growing Lady Raider career.

Overall, Shippensburg had the most PSAC representatives on the district track and field/cross country teams with four. Five of the 10 first-team honorees and 10 of the 20 overall hail from a PSAC institution. For the 2009-10 athletic calendar, Shippensburg had the second-most overall Academic All-District selections in the PSAC with 12 while California (Pa.) led the conference with 16 honorees.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Academic All-America® teams in 12 programs. A first team and second team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) Divisions.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Academic All-District Winners From the PSAC

First Team
Mary Dell, Shippensburg
Neely Spence, Shippensburg
Jen Harpp, Slippery Rock
Jen Hansen, Slippery Rock
Trina Carito, East Stroudsburg

Second Team
Erica Hess, Shippensburg
Abby Huber, Shippensburg
Janelle Smith, East Stroudsburg
Lynn Mayer, East Stroudsburg
Laurie Hall, California (Pa.)