Track & Field Places Two On Academic All-MAC Squad

June 08, 2009 | Track & Field

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State juniors Ali Bishel (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) and Sarah Kehe (Westville, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) have been named to the 2009 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field women's team as announced by the league office. A total of 39 student-athletes were named to the Academic All-MAC squad which was voted on by the faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions.

Bishel, a landscape architecture major with a 3.67 grade-point average, picked up Second Team All-MAC accolades for the outdoor season after taking second in the 10,000m run (35:59.11) at the MAC Championships. She also ran to a fourth-place showing in the 5,000m run (17:21.55) at the league meet. Bishel posted the fourth-fastest 10,000m time in program history with a 35:51.83 at the “GINA” Relays, while also turning in BSU's best times of the season in the 1,500m (4:38.10) and 5,000m (17:18.15).

Over her career, Bishel is a five-time Academic All-MAC selection, also earning the honor after the 2009 indoor season and the 2008 cross country, indoor and outdoor campaigns. During the 2009 indoor season, Bishel captured MAC Indoor titles in the 3,000m and 5,000m to earn Most Outstanding Track Performer and First Team All-MAC accolades.

Kehe, an exercise science major with a 3.89 GPA, is a three-sport student-athlete for the Cardinals, competing in cross country, swimming & diving and outdoor track & field. She earned Academic All-MAC status for the outdoor track & field season after placing 11th in the 3,000m steeplechase at the MAC Outdoor Championships with a time of 11:30.34. She also turned in BSU's third-fastest 1,500m time of the year at 4:50.44.

Kehe also earn Academic All-MAC status for the 2008 cross country season as BSU's second-fastest 6K runner, posting a time of 23:16.2 at the Great Lakes Regional and a clocking of 23:01.6 at the 2008 Pre-Nationals. Kehe also placed second for the Cardinals at the 2008 MAC Cross Country Championships, completing the 5K course in 18:18.4 to place 36th among all scored athletes, while ranking 38th overall in the 101-runner field.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.

In addition, six members of the outdoor track & field team - - Thekla Lorenz (Hamburg, Germany), Tyra Schantz (Bloomfield, Ind./White River Valley H.S.), Jordan Puckett (Washington, Ind./Washington H.S.), Brittany Ade (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger H.S.), Brandi Robinson (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park H.S.) and Lauren McNichols (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central H.S.) - - were named Honorable Mention Academic All-MAC.