May 16, 2002
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Three Purdue athletes have been named to Verizon Academic All-District teams. Men's tennis player Dan Swan and women's golfer Heather Zielinski were first team at-large selections, while women's swimmer Lindsay Lange was a second-team pick.
Swan and Zielinski will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America honors.
Swan, a senior majoring in management, posted a 21-10 doubles record this year with junior partner Scott Mayer. The pair pulled off two big upsets this season, most recently in an NCAA second-round match against Notre Dame's fifth-ranked Casey Smith and Javier Taborga. Swan and Mayer, Purdue's No. 1 doubles team, beat the Fighting Irish tandem 8-5 in South Bend on May 12. In the fall, Swan and Mayer beat 12th-ranked Olivier Levant and Eleazar Magallan of Florida, 8-4. Swan and Mayer themselves were ranked as high as 20th in the nation this spring.
Zielinski, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, is one of three Boilermakers to play in all 11 tournaments this year. In 32 rounds, Zielinski has averaged 77.6 strokes. Her highest finish of the year came at the Big Ten Championships, where she placed in a tie for seventh. Last fall in the Shootout at the Legends, Zielinski carded a first-round 71, tying a career-low. Zielinski's season will continue next week when Purdue competes at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Wash.
Lange, a junior majoring in communication, earned honorable mention NCAA All-America laurels in two events this year; she finished 14th in the 100 breaststroke and 32nd in the 200 breaststroke. Lange also collected four top-18 finishes in relay events at the NCAA Championships. The Big Ten 100 breaststroke runner-up, Lange set varsity records in the 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay during the 2001-02 campaign.
To be nominated for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials while holding at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
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