TOWSON, Md.—The 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® men’s and women’s at-large teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), were released today and among them was Hawk Megan Buja who becomes just the second student-athlete from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to ever earn the award.

The at-large team for the Capital One Academic All-America® program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men.  Each team names 15 members.

The 15 members of the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I At-Large women’s first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.82. Four student-athletes, Buja (Rockford, Ill.), Jacob, Kaufman and Meadow, have perfect 4.00 G.P.A’s.

A native of Rockford, Ill., Buja is a junior human ecology major with a perfect grade point average. A starter and four-time National Champion on the women’s bowling team, Buja posted a total pinfall of 11,920 and had a 198.67 average with a 266 high team game in 2012-2013. She was the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Elite 89 Award winner. A two-time All-MEAC selection and MEAC All-Academic honoree, she was named the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Star of Tomorrow and was the 2012 and 2013 UMES Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Buja is just the second UMES student-athlete to ever earn the honor of Academic All-America, a term only used by CoSIDA.  Her coach and former teammate, Kristina Frahm was the first from UMES. Of all of the University Division (NCAA DI, DII & DIII) athletes named to first, second or third teams, Buja was the only bowler on the list. In fact, she is the only the second bowler, including Frahm, to ever make a first or second team. Lisa Friscioni of Faireligh Dickinson was a third-team nod in 2006.

About the Academic All-America® Program      

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 18,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

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