Chantiles Chosen to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team

June 1, 2006

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg softball junior Heather Chantiles (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team on Wednesday as part of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) awards program.

Chantiles, who was also chosen to the Academic All-District II First Team last month, is the first Shippensburg female student-athlete since women's lacrosse senior Danielle Argento in 1998 to be named Academic All-America as a First Team selection and one of just four overall since the program's inception in 1952.

In addition to her academic honors this year, Chantiles was selected as to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II All-America First Team on May 18 after being named to the Mid-Atlantic Region First Team on May 11. On May 10, she was chosen Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Year and selected to the All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team.

An elementary education major with a 3.98 grade point average, Chantiles shattered the single-season school record for hits, surpassing the old mark of 78 set by Jaime Dacey in 2005 with 112. Her total also places her fourth in Division II single-season history, one behind Lisa Erickson of Cal State-Northridge in third.

Chantiles finished this year with 17 stolen bases which was the second highest total in school history while batting .489, placing her second behind Dacey's total of .549 set a year ago. Chantiles also scored 50 runs, 22-percent of the team's total, to rank third on the school's single-season list, tying her with Liz Corr who also scored 50 in 2004.

CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs: football, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, mens basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track and field/cross country, women's track and field/cross country, men's at-large and women's at-large.

A First Team, Second Team and Third Team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) Divisions. Football consists of just first and second teams.

Chantiles was one of only 11 honorees selected to the First Team while a total of 37 athletes were named to the First, Second and Third Team in the College Division.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 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.

- Lady Raider Softball -