ANCHORAGE - Alaska Anchorage senior Laura Carr was named Thursday to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic District VIII College Division Women's Track & Field / Cross Country First Team.

The team, voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America, recognizes the top female student-athletes in terms of both academic and athletic accomplishment from among NCAA Div. II, III and NAIA schools.

Carr, an art major with a 3.59 GPA, helped the women's cross country team to its first ever Great Northwest Athletic Conference and West Region titles last fall. In track & field, Carr registered her fourth all-conference accolade with a second-place finish in the 5,000 meters, followed by her third trip to the NCAA Championships.

The South Bend, Ind., local was also a member of the GNAC Academic All-Conference squad for the third time in her career.

To be eligible for the Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his or her current institution. District VIII encompasses nine states - AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT and WA - and two Canadian Provinces.