PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two BIG EAST athletes were named to the women’s 2011 Capital One Academic All-America University Division At-Large teams as announced Thursday. Senior Rachel Viglianco of the West Virginia rowing team earned a second team nod, while senior Amy Zhang of the Rutgers tennis team picked up third team accolades.
Viglianco was named an Academic All-American on the second team with a 4.00 GPA, majoring in secondary English education. She was a member of the Mountaineer boat that earned a gold medal at the Head of the Ohio, a bronze medal at the Occoquan Sprints, a fifth-place finish in the Grand Finals at the Knecht Cup Regatta and top-ten finishes at the Head of the Schuykill and Head of the Occoquan in the fall. A member of the WVU Honors College, Viglianco was on the Presidents List and Dean’s List. She is a BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection and listed on the Athletic Directors Academic Honor Roll. Viglianco was honored as a National Scholar-Athlete by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (2008-09) and was selected to the 2010-11 National Strength and Conditioning Association All-America team.
Zhang is a three-time All-BIG EAST selection for the Scarlet Knights tennis team, recording a 16-6 record at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles this season. Additionally, she was chosen as one of 90 people worldwide to be named a Gates Cambridge Scholar earlier this year. The 2010-11 BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award winner was also the first female winner of the American Eagle Outfitters Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award, boasting a 3.96 GPA in Rutgers’ computer science honors program. She was the recipient of the 2011 Women’s ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. Zhang also earned the 2009-10 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award for women’s tennis.
The Capital One All-America program is administered by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible student-athletes must be a starter or key reserve, achieve sophomore standing at their current school, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.3 and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Participants in bowling, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rifle skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and water polo are eligible for the women’s at-large program.
