Stevenson University senior Cat Connelly earned first-team recognition and led three Capital Athletic Conference onto the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team.

Connelly, a senior field hockey standout for the Mustangs, was joined on the All-District II team by junior Lauren Correll, a member of the Salisbury field hockey team who earned second-team All-District II honors, and Hood senior swimmer Michelle Leggieri, who earned third-team All-District recognition.

Connelly helped lead the field hockey team to its best season in school history as the Mustangs totaled a school record 10 wins and advanced to the CAC semifinals. She earned All-CAC and NFHCA All-South Region First Team honors after starting all 20 games and leading the CAC in assists with 11. She also added two goals.

Off the field, Connelly was named to the NFHCA Academic Squad after graduating in December with a bachelor of science degree in biology and a 3.94 grade point average.

In four seasons at Stevenson, Connelly appeared in 73 of the team's 75 games with 71 starts while totaling 27 points on five goals and 17 assists. She also earned All-CAC Second Team honors as a junior.

As a result of her first team selection, Connelly is now eligible for Academic All-America honors where if chosen, she would become the first player in school history to be honored as such.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Academic All-America® teams in 12 programs. In most Academic All-America programs, a first team, second team and third team are selected in both the University (Division I) and College (Division II, III, NAIA and 2-year) Divisions.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution.

Correll  is entering her senior year at SU where she is a physical education major with a 3.88 grade point average. Correll enjoyed success on the field for the seventh-ranked Sea Gulls last season as she started all 19 games. Correll led the team in points (38) and goals scored (18) and game-winning goals (four).

The forward was named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-American and All-Region performer the past two seasons. The two-time All-CAC first team performer has landed on the All-CAC Academic team the past two seasons plus the SU dean's list.

Correll has been a valuable part of the community through community outreach programs alongside her field hockey teammates. She has volunteered at Relay for Life, Sea Gull Century and helped to donate food in the annual Athletic Training Food Drive and been a mentor with local youth field hockey programs. In addition, she is part of several honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi, ODK, Phi Epsilon Kappa, the SU Athletics Honor Society and the Physical Education Society.

This is the third academic accolade Correll has received this spring as she was inducted into the prestigious Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athletic Honor Society-Zeta Chapter and SU's ODK chapter in May.

Leggieri first-year member of the swim team was one of two graduating senior to earn summa cum laude recognition at the 2009 commencement ceremony for her exemplary academic achievement. A sprinter for the Blazers, her top times included 27.32 in the 50 free, 59.92 in the 100 free, 2:13.16 in the 200 free, 1:07.89 in the 100 back and 1:19.37 in the 100 breast. She owned the team's top times in the 50 free and was second-fastest in the 100 free. She captured top honors in the 100 free twice and 50 free twice in dual meet action and was Hood's top finisher at the Capital Athletic Conference championships in the 100 back and the 50 free. Earlier this month, she was also inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma national scholar-athlete honor society.