Aug. 6, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio - Three members of the 2008 Miami University men's track and field team have been named to the all-academic team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Pat Sovacool, Michael Veatch and Dan Beach each got the nod from the USTFCCCA for their efforts on the track and in the classroom.

Sovacool (Lakewood, Ohio- St. Ignatius), a junior in the spring of 2008, was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Team earlier this summer. He owns a 3.60 grade-point average and majors in zoology. Sovacool finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships with a time of 14:12.84, which also qualified him for the NCAA Championships where he finished 16th. Sovacool has a personal and season-best time of 13:56.77 in the 5,000 meters. At the Mid-American Conference Championships in May, Sovacool swept the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, earning First-Team All-MAC honors. He also was USTFCCCA All-Mideast Region selection.

Beach (Arlington, Ohio- Arlington), a senior this past spring, posted a 3.45 grade-point average and majored in finance. He was an NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier in the hammer throw where he finished 20th. At the 2008 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships, Beach recorded a third-place finish in the hammer throw and a seventh-place finish in the discus. He was the champion in the hammer throw at the Miami Team Challenge and placed second in the hammer throw at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational.

Veatch (Middletown, Ohio- Middletown), who will be a senior in the spring of 2009, recorded a 3.49 GPA and majored in physical education. He was the 2008 MAC Outdoor Champion in the steeplechase, earning First-Team All-MAC plaudits and advancing to the NCAA Mideast Regional where he finished 21st in the event. In the steeplechase, Veatch finished in seventh place at the 114th Penn Relays and won the event at the Miami Team Challenge. A distance specialist, he also placed sixth at the MAC Championships in the 5,000 meters.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and have met either the NCAA Division I Indoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard or the NCAA Division I Outdoor regional or national qualifying standard in their respective event.

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