Seven Golden Bears Honored on Coaches' All-Academic Team

Seven Golden Bears Honored on Coaches' All-Academic Team
Four Women, Three Men Receive Notice for Strong Work in the Classroom


July 14, 2009


BERKELEY - Seven members of Cal's track & field team - four women and three men - have been named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team.

The Golden Bears who received the honor are: Cyrena Giordano, Alison Greggor, Kristen Meister, Brook Turner, Kari Karlsson, Patrick Kowalsky and Mark Matusak.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic squad, student-athletes 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.

Meister, a junior majoring in history, was also a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic second team. She had the Bears' second-best high jump mark of the 2009 season, clearing 5-8 3/4 at the Cal Outdoor Opener March 7.

Both Turner and Giordano received Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention notice this past season, as well. Turner ran a best of 53.34 in the 400 meters during her senior year in 2009. She was fifth in the 400 at the Pac-10 championships, fourth in the event at NCAA regionals and reached the semifinals at the NCAA champions. A three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection, Turner majored in film studies and has received a Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship.

A pole vaulter for the Bears, Giordano, who has not yet declared her major, jumped a personal-best 13-4 1/4 at the Pac-10 meet, where she placed fourth.





Greggor, a psychology major, ran 37:34.01 in the 10,000 meters this past spring, and she was a key member of the cross country team in the fall, finishing as Cal's second-fastest runner at both the Pac-10 and NCAA regional competitions.

From the men's team, Karlsson, who is majoring in operations research and management science, ran 8:13.39 in the 3000 meters at the Big Meet, Cal's second-fastest time of the year. He also posted marks of 14:06.61 in the 5000m and 30:47.73 in the 10,000m.

Kowalsky, a media studies major, had the Bears' top shot put throw of the 2009 season with a mark of 56-8, while he also threw the discus a season-best 159-3 at the Pac-10 championships. He was sixth in the shot at the Pac-10 meet.

Matusak helped Cal to a 22nd-place finish at the NCAA cross country championships in the fall, crossing the line third among Bear runners at the national meet. He is majoring in psychology.

Meister, Turner, Giordano, Kowalsky and Matusak were all members of the USTFCCCA All-Academic team last year.


Cal Bears Outdoor Track