University of Tennessee Athletics
SHANNA ZOLMAN NAMED A FIRST TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
February 28, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2006
Knoxville, Tenn. - Tennessee senior guard Shanna Zolman has been chosen as an ESPN the Magazine First Team Academic All-American, according to an official announcement by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Tuesday. The 5-10 guard is the fourth Lady Vol to earn first team recognition and is the first member of the Big Orange to do so since Kara Lawson in 2003. Earlier this month, Zolman was named to the All-District IV First Team for the second consecutive season.
"It's a great honor to win such a prestigious award," Zolman said. "We know that academics always come first as student-athletes, but it's an honor to be considered with the elite student-athletes of America. The University of Tennessee and the professors and staff here make it easy for me to succeed. The facilities we have in the Thornton Center allow me to excel in my academic field."
The journalism and electronic media major boasts a 3.56 grade point average and was selected to the SEC All-Academic Team in 2004 and 2005. Zolman garnered NCAA All-Final Four Team honors in 2004, an NCAA All-Regional nod in Philadelphia in 2005, was an SEC Second Team choice in 2004 and 2005, an SEC All-Freshman Team selection in 2003, and was named to the SEC All-Tournament squad in 2005. Earlier this season she was named to the SEC .Good Works. Team for her contributions to the Knoxville community.
A native of Syracuse, Ind., Zolman owns the highest career free throw percentage in school history (91.4). She shot 95.7 percent from the charity stripe during her sophomore season, a mark that still stands as the NCAA Division I single-season free throw percentage record. Against Alabama on Feb. 19 she hit seven three-pointers, establishing a new Lady Vol single-game record. She is one of only 15 Lady Vols to ever record over 1,500 points in her career, currently ranks 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,586 career points and needs only five tallies to pass Debbie Groover for 11th place.
Off the hardwood, she has volunteered her time with several organizations in the Knoxville area. She is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteers for the Race for the Cure, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Dogwood Arts Parade, the Toyota Literacy program and sings Christmas carols at area nursing homes.
Zolman is one of two players from the SEC honored on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America basketball teams this season and is the fifth hoopster from the conference ever to earn first team accolades.
| University Division Player of the Year | |||||
| Lindsay Shearer | |||||
| First Team - University Division | |||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| Lindsay Shearer | Kent State | Sr. | Minerva, Ohio | 3.95 | Business |
| Liz Shimek | Michigan State | Sr. | Empire, Mich. | 3.72 | General Business Management-PreLaw |
| Melanie Boeglin | Indiana State | Sr. | Terre Haute, Ind. | 3.88 | Marketing |
| Megan Duffy | Notre Dame | Sr. | Dayton, Ohio | 3.56 | Psychology/Computer Applications |
| Shanna Zolman | Tennessee | Sr. | Syracuse, Ind. | 3.56 | Journalism & Electronic Media |
| Second Team - University Division | |||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| Sarah Klaassen | Missouri State | Sr. | Whitewater, Kan. | 3.97 | Religious Studies |
| Lindsay Thomas | Colorado State | Sr. | Sioux Falls, S.D. | 3.99 | English & Social Work |
| Chrissy Givens | Middle Tenn. St. | Jr. | Monroe, La. | 3.87 | Criminal Justice |
| Jackie McFarland | Colorado | So. | Derby, Kan. | 3.97 | Accounting |
| Shay Doron | Maryland | Jr. | Great Neck, N.Y. | 3.71 | Criminology & Criminal Justice |
| Third Team - University Division | |||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| April Calhoun | Minnesota | Sr. | New Hope, Minn. | 4.00 | Accounting and Finance |
| Betsy Rietema | Valparaiso | Jr. | Grand Rapids, Mich. | 3.96 | Psychology and Chemistry |
| Leslie Cook | High Point | Jr. | High Point, N.C. | 4.00 | Business Administration, (Finance) |
| Kristin Peoples | Arkansas | Jr. | Westerville, OH | 3.93 | Biology (Pre-Med) |
| Ann Strother | Connecticut | Sr. | Castle Rock, Colo. | 3.33 | Psychology |
