Soma Named First-Team Academic All-District VIII
June 3, 2005
SEATTLE - Washington senior Kate Soma, who will seek her fifth-straight All-America honor in the pole vault at next week's NCAA Championships, was one of 10 West Region women's athletes named Friday to the 2005 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII first-team. The honor, voted on by collegiate sports information directors in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana, puts Soma on the ballot for Academic All-America consideration, results of which will be announced June 21.
A graduate of Grant High School in Portland, Ore., Soma boasts a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 in business administration at Washington, with an emphasis in marketing. The senior will graduate from UW's School of Business one week from Saturday, but will not be on hand to receive her diploma, instead competing in the pole vault at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Sacramento.
Soma's NCAA appearance -- the seventh of her UW career -- will see the Husky try to win the first NCAA title by a UW women's athlete since 1988, after consecutive runner-up finishes outdoors in 2004, and indoors in 2005. Soma's four-career All-America awards equal the most by any woman in school history, while her career-best vault of 14 feet, 3 ½ equals the seventh-best ever by a collegiate vaulter.
Soma is the second Husky vaulter in as many years to win the Academic All-District honor. Two-time NCAA champion Brad Walker earned the distinction in 2004, before being named an Academic All-American later that year.
2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII Women's Track and Field Team (Univ. Division) Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major Rachel Bertholf Washington State Sr. Colbert, Wash. 3.74 Marketing Katie Christianson Fresno State Sr. Indian Wells, Calif. 3.79 Biology Julie Elliott Portland Sr. Eugene, Ore. 3.63 Nursing Jennifer Kowacz Arizona State Sr. Goodyear, Ariz. 4.00 Fine Arts Miruana Mataoanu Boise State So. Bucharest, Romania 3.85 Business Brooke Meredith California Sr. Redding, Calif. 3.21 American Studies Marie Nilsson San Diego State Sr. Kil, Sweden 3.95 International Security Conflict and Security Resolution Maegan Schmutz Southern Utah Sr. Cedar City, Utah 3.95 Family and Consumer Science Kate Soma Washington Sr. Portland, Ore. 3.50 Business Administration Jenna Timinsky UCLA So. Encinitas, Calif. 3.94 Linguistics and Anthropology
