Fattig Earns Academic All-America Honor

June 23, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. – University of Kansas junior Eric Fattig was named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Teams on Monday, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Fattig is an engineering major and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout his career at KU. He has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in each of the last two years and was also selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team earlier this season along with teammate Ashley Brown. Kansas track and field has also awarded him the Academic Achievement Award in each of the past two seasons as well.

Fattig led all Jayhawks in the triple jump for the second consecutive year in 2008. The Kearney, Neb., product was second on the team in the long jump where he was just two centimeters away from regionally qualifying. He also set a personal-best in the indoor long jump this year.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must have contributed in a certain percentage of their team’s meets, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.

Fattig will start his senior campaign in the crimson and blue in December. There are several Jayhawks that may have the opportunity to report to Eugene, Ore., for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials June 27-July 6. Those accepted into the meet will be declared Tuesday.