June 7, 2010

Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA), who won the NCAA championship in the shot put last weekend, was named to the ESPN The Magazine District I College Division All-Academic First Team, released Friday.

With the honor, Barrett is eligible for College Division Academic All-American honors – made up of Division II and III athletes – to be announced later this month. The teams are voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The distinction is the latest of a slew of athletic and academic awards in what has been a dream season for Barrett. She won the NCAA championship on Saturday, May 29, when her school-record throw of 50 feet, 8.25 inches bested the remainder of the field.

The championship was the crescendo of four major titles this season for Barrett as she captured the New England championship – against throwers from all three NCAA divisions – on May 8 and set a meet record with a toss of 47’ 9.25’’. She also won both the indoor (47’ 7.25’’) and outdoor shot put at the Northeast-10 Conference championships.

Tabbed the East Region Field Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), Barrett graduated with a 3.54 cumulative grade point average as a psychology major.

Barrett has been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team three times as well as the NE-10 All-Academic Teams on two occasions. On Apr. 27, she was named the recipient of the NE-10 Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award, presented to one student-athlete in each NE-10-sponsored sport.

Barrett is the daughter of Edward Barrett of Woburn, MA, and Carlene Strangeways of Woburn, MA.