Churchill Named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Area All-Academic Women's At-Large Team

Philadelphia, Pa. – University of the Sciences senior Nicole Churchill has been named to the 2010-11 Philadelphia Inquirer Area All-Academic Women's At-Large Team.  Churchill is one of 11 student-athletes selected to this year's women's at-large area academic team. The team was voted on by the sports information offices of the 28 institutions from the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Churchill (Pocono Mountain West High School/Albrightsville, Pa.) is a four-year member of the women's team and has served as captain of the women's squad during the past two seasons. In her fifth year academically, Churchill has a 3.271 g.p.a. as a pharmacy major. The senior shooter led the women's team in both guns with a 522.00 air rifle average and a 460.67 smallbore average. Nicole shot a season high of 538 in air rifle in the Devils NCAA qualifier match at Army at the end of February.  She was also recently named the Mid-Atlantic rifle Conference (MAC) Air rifle Shooter of the Month for February.

Nicole's academic success has been evidenced by her earning the Dean's List numerous times, being named to the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) and the MAC all-Academic Teams  two consecutive years, and is currently the President of the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society.

Churchill is joined on this year's Academic All-Area Women's At-Large Team by athletes from three other schools. Penn led the way with five selections, including fencer Danielle Kamis (Performer of the Year); her fencing teammates Amrit Bhinder and Laura Paragano and squash players Pia Trikha and Annie Madeira. Also named to the team were three members of the Temple fencing team,  Alyssa Lombardi, Alyssa Lomuscio and Kamali Thompson and  a pair of Neumann women's ice hockey team members Shannon Donnelly and Jessica Schroeder.

Student-athletes from the University of the Sciences have been named to the Philadelphia Area All-Academic Teams a total of 61 times since the programs inception in 2005-06. Fifteen student-athletes have been named to an area all academic team twice and nine have earned the honor three times. Seven USciences student-athletes who have earned Performer of the Year honors in their respective sports, with two of those garnering the award twice (Michelle Bauer- women's at-large (rifle) - 2006, 2008; and Amanda Bedway- women's tennis - 2007 and 2008).