May 11, 2006

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) and junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) have earned first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The award is the second of Cooper's career and the first for Amegin. The Wildcats have had at least one Academic All-District honoree in each of the last five years, and two in the last two years.

Amegin is a communication studies major who holds both Northwestern's career (34) and single-season (14) home run records. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier this season after belting three homers at the Louisville Slugger Las Vegas Classic.

Cooper, a communication studies major, is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, earning three Big Ten Player of the Week nods in 2006. She won the Big Ten batting title with a .471 average, and finished with a league-best .980 slugging percentage in conference play. Cooper also broke Northwestern's single-season record for doubles this year with 20.

Both Cooper and Amegin now move on to the national ballot for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America consideration.