June 5, 2006

BAY CITY - Nineteen Lake Superior State University athletes, including eight members of the LSSU softball team, received Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honors.

Heading the list was senior pitcher Ashley Hughes (Gladstone, Mich.), who has a 3.74 grade point average while majoring in English. She was followed by senior Kate Baker (Royal Oak, Mich.) of the outdoor track and field team, who has a 3.65 GPA while majoring in elementary education. Softball players Erin Retherford (Wixom, Mich.) and Sara Fox (China, Mich.), and track's Ross Malatinsky (Holt, Mich.) are also ranked in the top-20 academically among LSSU student-athletes and were recognized by the GLIAC.

Other softball players on the all-academic team were seniors Audrey Hewitt (Gladstone, Mich.), Cherish Samuels (Dexter, Mich.) and Amanda VanHorn (Harrison, Mich.), sophomorse Jessica Ordiway (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) and Stephanie Reveley (St. Clair Shores, Mich.).

In addition to Baker, the women's track team was represented by seniors Michelle Ballance (White Cloud, Mich.) and Celina Grondin (Fleurimont, Que.). Six other athletes from the men's outdoor track and field team earned all-academic honors, including seniors Rich Stein (Dorr, Mich.) and Chris Winkler (Brimley, Mich.), juniors Andrew Barry (Pickford, Mich.), and Emory Nelkie (West Branch, Mich.), and sophomores Adam Smith (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) and Thom Thornton (Sand Lake, Mich.). Smith was also an NCAA Academic All-American in indoor and outdoor track.

Senior Ludovic Marmet-Demers (Levis, Que.) was named to the all-academic team in men's tennis.