Wittenberg Student-Athletes Jenny Burns and Emily Figel Named To Academic All-District Teams

Jenny Burns

Emily Figel

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University student-athletes Jenny Burns and Emily Figel, both members of the class of 2005, were honored for their performance on the fields of play and in the classroom with CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV honors. Both were selected in the women's at-large college division.

Burns, a four-year letterwinner in women's lacrosse, was selected to the first team, while Figel, a four-year letterwinner in women's tennis, made second team. The women's at-large college division encompasses athletes from bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo. The College Division of District IV includes athletes from NCAA Division III, NCAA Division II and NAIA institutions in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.

By virtue of her placement on the all-district first-team, Burns will now be considered for Academic All-America honors in voting that takes place next month.

Burns, of Dublin, Ohio, graduated with honors earlier this month with a degree in history and a minor in education. The Tiger women's lacrosse team finished the 2005 season with records of 6-8 overall and 2-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and Burns led the squad with 28 goals, 12 assists and 40 total points.

Burns was the team's leading scorer in three of her four seasons in the Red & White, including 2003 when she scored a career-high 62 total points, second-most in the NCAC. That year, she was a first-team all-conference, first-team all-region and third-team All-America selection. After an injury-riddled junior season, Burns bounced back to claim second-team all-conference honors in 2005.

Figel, of Fort Wayne, Ind., graduated with honors earlier this month with a degree in communication and a minor in English. She will go down as one of the finest women's tennis players in school history after spending four years at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions.

Earlier this month, Figel was named first-team All-NCAC for a fourth straight year in singles and second-team all-conference in doubles for a third straight year. She posted a 6-6 mark at the top singles position, while she and freshman Emily Okerson finished 12-3 at the No. 1 doubles position. Figel, the 2002 NCAC Newcomer of the Year, is one of just two Tiger women's tennis players ever to appear in the NCAA Division III tournament. She made the trip to the national competition as a freshman, when she compiled a career-best 19-5 record. Her four-year singles mark was 47-30 and her doubles record was 46-24 with four different partners.