By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University runner Theresa Edwards (Sr., Lake Tapps, WA/Bonney Lake HS) has been chosen Second Team Capital One Academic All-America on the 2012-13 NCAA Division III Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Edwards ran for the Bearcats as a top competitor on the cross country team and also provided strength for Willamette in the middle-distance and long-distance events in track and field.

Second Team Capital One Academic All-America

Theresa Edwards, who graduated this spring with a bachelor's degree and double major in Environmental Science and Biology, achieved a 3.97 cumulative GPA through the fall 2012 semester. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.

Edwards qualified for the NCAA Championships in cross country a total of three times. She ran at the national meet in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

During the 2010 cross country season, she took 12th place in the Northwest Conference and placed 13th at the West Regional. She qualified as an individual for the 2010 NWC Division III Cross Country Championships.

In 2011, she was third at the NWC cross country meet and set a personal record of 22:01.61 over the 6-kilometer course. She finished 15th at the 2011 West Regional. In 2012, she earned seventh place in the NWC and placed 14th in the West Region. She attained All-Northwest Conference honors three times and All-West Region recognition three times in cross country.

While competing at the NCAA Championships in cross country, she helped Willamette place 29th in the nation in 2011 and 32nd in the nation in 2012.

In addition, Edwards competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 1,500-meter run in 2012. She took 18th place at the national meet. Her career best time in the 1,500 is 17:43.24. In the 800-meter run, she is tied for eighth on Willamette's all-time list with a top time of 4:37.24, which she recorded in 2012.

Edwards registered All-NWC performances four times in track, twice in the 800-meter run and twice in the 1,500-meter run.

Two of her All-Conference efforts in track and field were achieved when she won NWC individual championships in the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run in 2012. She scored for the Bearcats a total of eight times during NWC track and field championship meets.

She was named First Team Capital One Academic All-District VIII in 2011-12 and 2012-13. She earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors a total of six times in cross country and track.

At the conclusion of her Willamette career, she was the co-winner of the Jean Williams Award as the Bearcats' top senior womens athlete based on athletics, academics and leadership.

Athletes nominated for the Capital One Academic All-America and Academic All-District honors were starters or key reserves with cumulative GPAs of 3.3 or higher (4.0 scale). Each athlete was at her current college or university for at least one academic year. CoSIDA District VIII includes colleges and universities in the western United States.