April 20, 2010

IRVING, Texas – Meghan Gockel posted a perfect 4.0 grade-point average as a league-leading five Kansas women’s golfers earned Academic All-Big 12 first and second-team honors it was announced Tuesday.

On the men’s side Kansas placed a league-best three golfers on the first team.  Juniors Nate Barbee and Jeff Bell and senior Patrick Roth were each named first-team.  On the course Barbee leads the team with a 71.86 scoring average, while Bell is at 76.22 and Roth at 75.63.

Four Jayhawk women earned first-team honors, including juniors Meghna Bal, Jennifer Clark and Grace Thiry, and Gockel, a senior.  Senior Emily Powers was named to the second team.  All five were named for the second straight year.

Gockel was one of three Big 12 women to earn a perfect 4.0 along with Abbi Sunner of Kansas State and Andrea Sellmeyer of Oklahoma.  Gockel also posted a 4.0 last year.

All five of KU’s women’s honorees have played in all nine tournaments this season.  Powers leads the team with a 75.41 scoring average, followed by Thiry (76.85), Bal (77.52), Clark (78.52) and Gockel (78.74).

First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his/her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

The women will play at the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla., April 23-25.  The men will compete for the league title in Trinity, Texas on the same dates.

Kansas 2010 Academic All-Big 12 Men’s Golf Selections

First Team (3.2-plus GPA)

Nate Barbee, Jr., Dakota Dunes, S.D., Sport Management

Jeff Bell, Jr., Wichita, Kan., Civil Engineering

Patrick Roth, Sr., Prairie Village, Kan., Accounting

Kansas 2010 Academic All-Big 12 Women’s Golf Selections

First Team (3.2-plus GPA)

Meghna Bal, Jr., New Delhi, India, Sports Management

Jennifer Clark, Jr., Kansas City, Kan., Graphic Design

*Meghan Gockel, Sr., Dallas, Texas, Finance and Accounting

Grace Thiry, Jr., Sydney, Australia, Sports Management

Second Team
Emily Powers, Sr., Quincy, Ill., Communications

* - 4.0 Grade-Point Average.