SFA Athletes Honored by USTFCCCA
7/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
July 15, 2009
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Stephen F. Austin track and field standouts Keith Mahipala, Frednisha Marshall, Amy Shackelford and Stephanie Ganter have been named to the 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Keith Nunez announced Wednesday afternoon.
The quartet got the job done not only in the classroom, but on the track as well. The four SFA athletes combined to post big numbers during the 2009 indoor and outdoor season. They finished the year with 12 All-Southland Conference performances, nine NCAA Regional qualifying marks, seven SLC Individual titles, six NCAA indoor qualifying standards, four school records, one conference record and an NCAA Indoor All-American.
A three-time SLC Athlete of the Week, Marshall produced one of the best individual seasons in school and conference history. Dominating the women's weight throw, Marshall set four school records in the event and advanced to the NCAA Championships after posting a conference record toss of 67-1.50 to win the SLC Individual title. Marshall earned All-America honors when she posted a school-best mark of 69-4.25 to finish third overall in the event.
To prove that her indoor season was no fluke, Marshall returned to the throwing circle during the outdoor season and won the SLC Hammer Throw and Shot Put title. The All-American finished the season with three conference titles and four All-SLC honors.
The Ladyjacks sported two distance runners who were just as dominant on the track as Marshall was in the throws. Sophomore Amy Shackelford took the conference by storm winning the women's 5,000 and 10,000-meter events at the 2009 SLC Outdoor Championships. Shackelford's closest competition was true freshman Stephanie Ganter who posted second-place finishes in both events.
Ganter, who was a rock of consistency throughout the year, added a conference title in the 5,000 meters, and an All-SLC honor in the 3,000 meters at the SLC Indoor Championships. Ganter also became the first female in SLC history to be named league freshman of the year during the cross country, indoor and outdoor track seasons.
After posting two top-eight finishes at the SLC Indoor Championships in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, Mahipala proved himself as one of the league's top distance runners by winning the 2009 SLC Steeplechase title. He returned to the track to post a seventh-place finish in the men's 5,000 meters at the conference outdoor championships.
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