Gator Country

Gainesville, FL - The University of Florida placed three student-athletes on 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III At-Large teams. Senior gymnast Savannah Evans (Destin, Fla.) is a member of the women's first team. Junior Kevin Nead (Ithaca, N.Y.) and senior Luca De Matteis (Naples, Italy), both swimmers, merited first-team consideration on the men’s side. All three advance to the national Academic All-America ballot.

Evans is pursuing a double major in sports management & business and owns a 3.75 grade point average. She earned All-America first-team honors for vault and floor exercise, advancing to 2007 NCAA Individual Event Finals after posting season-best marks of 9.90 for both events in NCAA Championships Session I team qualifying competition. Evans shared fourth in the NCAA floor final (9.90) and took sixth in the vault final (9.8125).  Evans also shared the NCAA Northeast Region floor title at 9.90 for the first regional event title of collegiate career. Evans is a three-time member of both the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll and the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Scholastic All-America team.

Nead, the 2007 SEC Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is a zoology/pre-med major with a 3.98 GPA. He is currently in Lille, France, where he has been selected, based on exceptional academic achievement and research potential, to conduct diabetes-related research for eight months. The Ithaca, N.Y., native was also chosen by UF faculty to publish and present cancer-related research that he performed at the school. Nead has earned All-America honors in the 400 individual in each of the last two years, and owns four-career All-SEC accolades.

An aerospace and mechanical engineering major with a 3.86 GPA, De Matteis ranked 10th nationally in the 200 breast last season with a time of 1:56.27. A native of Naples, Italy, he collected four All-America honors, including one in the 200 breast in each of the last three years, and garnered All-SEC recognition eight times. De Matteis was also a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection. The one-time school record holder in the 200 breast, he finished his career ranked in the UF all-time top-five in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 medley relay.

The men’s Academic All-America national team will be announced June 12, followed by the women’s team on June 14.

2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Teams - University Division
First Team - Women
Amanda Blumenherst Duke Golf
Amy Stopford Duke University Field Hockey
Savannah Evans Florida Gymnastics
Courtney Kupets Georgia Gymnastics
Heather Reynolds Georgia Southern Tennis
Kristi Miller Georgia Tech Tennis
Audra Cohen Miami Tennis
Leah Wigger Virginia Golf
Lindsay Pieper Virginia Tech Lacrosse
Jessica Botzum Virginia Tech Swimming

Second Team
Kristen Waagbo Duke Lacrosse
Lene Krog East Carolina Golf
Romy Altmann Florida State Swimming
Caroline Westrup Florida State Golf
Claire Maust Georgia Swimming
Heather Kendell North Carolina Field Hockey
Sara Anundsen North Carolina Tennis
Emily Klein North Carolina-Wilmington Golf
Cassandra Price Radford Tennis
Klaudyna Kasztelaniec William & Mary Tennis

First Team - Men
Richard Redding Coastal Carolina Tennis
Ed Douglas Duke Lacrosse
Geoff Handsfield East Carolina Swimming
Luca De Matteis Florida Swimming
Kevin Nead Florida Swimming
Roberto Castro Georgia Tech Golf
Ofer Finkler Georgia Tech Swimming
Henrique Cancado Old Dominion Tennis
Ben Rubeor Virginia Lacrosse
Thomas Cunningham Virginia Military Institute Wrestling

Second Team
Dimitar Dimitrov Appalachian State Tennis
Jonas Enander Hedin Charlotte Golf
Ray Sheedy Charlotte Golf
Phillip Compeau Davidson Tennis
Alex Kennon Florida State Swimming
Jonas Blixt Florida State Golf
Brendon Todd Georgia Golf
Andrew An Mercer Golf
Barden Berry North Carolina Golf
Benjamin Carlotti North Carolina Tennis
Pat Mellors Virginia Swimming
Peter Borchelt Virginia Military Institute Swimming
Neil Savage Virginia Tech Swimming

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