Gritter named GTE Academic All-American

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Calvin College junior Sarah Gritter has put the capstone on a tremendous track and field campaign. A native of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Gritter has been named to the GTE Academic All-America second team in the spring at-large college division. The college division includes NCAA II, III and NAIA schools. The spring at-large women's division includes the sports of lacrosse, indoor/outdoor track and field, golf, tennis and crew. Gritter is the fifth athlete in Calvin women's track and field history to earn GTE Academic All-America honors as Amy Kuipers, Holly Breuker and Betsy Haverkamp earned first team accolades earlier this decade while Andrea Clark was a third team selection in 1997 and a second team honoree in 1998. Athletes at Calvin have now earned GTE Academic All-America distinction 32 times including seven times this year. A two-time All-MIAA selection in track and field, Gritter was named the MIAA's co-MVP in women's track and field this spring as she captured titles at the MIAA Championships in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. At the NCAA III Championships held at Baldwin-Wallace College May 20-22, Gritter earned All-America honors twice as she finished second in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:54.74 and third in the 1,500 meters with a school-record time of 4:31.79, shaving nearly three second off her own school mark. Gritter's pair of All-America performances helped Calvin finished tied for fourth place with Wisconsin-LaCrosse at nationals as both teams earned 39 points. The fourth place finish marked Calvin's third top-four national finish in the last seven years. A mathematics major, Gritter carries a 3.92 grade point average and has been a six-time member of the Calvin Dean's List and a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Also a key member of Calvin's national championship cross country team this fall, Gritter earned GTE Academic All-District honors in cross country this spring in the Fall/Winter at-large division. -end-