Indiana University Athletics
Cardinell Earns ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Honor
7/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
June 1, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Graduating senior Cassandra Cardinell earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on May 26.
The Loudonville, N.Y., native put together an impressive semester of diving after coming back from foot surgery following competition at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. At the 2005 NCAA Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., Cardinell came from behind to snare the platform title. She not only became the first Hoosier from the swimming and diving team to win a national championship since Hirai Soldati claimed the one-meter crown in 1996. She also became the first non-one-meter champion as IU's only other national titles came with AIAW one-meter triumphs by Amy McGrath (1980) and Lona Foss (1982). Her performance paced IU to its best finish (ninth) at the national championship in program history.
Additionally, Cardinell earned a spot on the USA Diving International Team, and traveled to Zhuhai, China for the China Open. Meanwhile, the six-time All-American will compete at the 2005 Speedo/FINA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 12-15 and the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, Aug. 11-21.
Members of CoSIDA from District V voted on this year's team, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. To qualify for Academic All-District, student-athletes must hold at least sophomore status at their university, own a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 and be either a starter or key reserve for their team.
Cardinell will appear on CoSIDA's national ballot for the Academic All-America Women's At-Large Team, which will be announced Thursday, June 17.
