May 17, 2013

CoSIDA release with full teams 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—Virginia graduate students Matt Snyder (wrestling) and Sarah Cowburn (rowing) have been named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District III At-Large First Teams, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Friday (May 17).

By virtue of their first-team selections, the Cavalier duo is now eligible for Academic All-America honors.

Snyder (Dalmatia, Pa.), a kinesiology major with a 3.84 cumulative GPA, earned the award in the men’s at-large category, which includes student-athletes from fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

Cowburn (Worcestershire, England), an architectural history major with a 3.95 cumulative GPA, earned the award in the women's at-large category, which includes bowling, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball and water polo.

District III encompasses the states of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

This marks Snyder’s third consecutive Academic All-District honor. A year ago, Snyder went on to earn Academic All-America Third Team honors. A four-time All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team honoree, Snyder was named the conference’s Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row in 2013 and earned a 2013 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship, the only wrestler in the conference honored.

Snyder was a 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championship qualifier and finished one win shy of All-America status by reaching the tournament's round of 12. A third-place finisher in the ACC Championships' competitive 125-pound weight class, Snyder was ranked eighth nationally in both the final NCAA Coaches rankings and the RPI. He finished with a 22-9 record this past season and ended his career as Virginia's ninth-ranked wrestler in total wins with 99. Snyder's 32 falls ranks third in program history.

This is Cowburn’s first Academic All-District honor. Cowburn was named a 2012 College Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) First-Team All-American as part of the UVa Varsity Eight that won the national title and clinched the team NCAA Championship for the Cavaliers. At the ACC Championships on May 12, Cowburn was named to the All-ACC team for the second consecutive year and was part of the V8 that claimed the ACC title and was named conference Crew of the Year for the second straight season. She was awarded the team’s Scholar-Athlete Award at the Virginia All-Sports Banquet on May 5.