May 16, 2002

BLACKSBURG - Jill Turner of the Virginia Tech swimming team was honored for academic work Thursday, being named to the CoSIDA/Verizon Academic All-District III Women's At-Large Team for the University Division. Turner, a rising senior from Newark, Del., carries a 3.99 GPA in marketing management.

Turner was one of 15 athletes selected to the at-large first team, which includes, swimming & diving, tennis, golf, crew, gymnastics, lacrosse and field hockey. She, along with the other 14 on the first team, are now eligible for academic all-America honors.

Turner helped lead the Hokies to a 9-1 dual meet record this year and a fourth-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships. She took third place in the 50 freestyle at the BIG EAST Championships and placed fifth in the 200 freestyle at that same meet. She also placed seventh in the 100 freestyle and is part of the 400 medley relay team that set a school record.

Turner was a part of the 2001 400 freestyle relay team that captured the BIG EAST title. She took third in the 50 free at the 2001 BIG EAST meet.

In the classroom, she received the 2001 Pamplin Rising Junior Award and is a two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team. She is also a member of Golden Key and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies as well as the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She has been a member of the Dean's List and the Virginia Tech Athletics Director's Honor Roll since 1999.

Turner also won the 2002 Skelton Award, a post-graduate scholarship for academic and athletics excellence at Virginia Tech.