Dinsmore is Selected First Team Capital One Academic All-America

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University sprinter Jaela Dinsmore (Sr., Hines, OR/Burns HS) have been named First Team Capital One Academic All-America on the 2011-12 NCAA Division III Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

It is the second consecutive year that Dinsmore has received Capital One Academic All-America honors. She was chosen Third Team Academic All-America in 2010-11.

First Team Capital One Academic All-America

Jaela Dinsmore qualified for the 2012 NCAA Division III Championships in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. She finished fifth in the nation in the 100-meter dash with a personal record time of 11.95 seconds in the finals, as she earned NCAA All-America status.

In addition, she placed 11th in the nation in the 200-meter dash with a personal record time of 24.62 seconds in the preliminary heats. She was just 0.04 away from reaching the finals.

She received the 2012 NCAA Elite 89 Award for women's outdoor track and field as the competitor with the highest cumulative grade point average at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Dinsmore graduated from Willamette this spring with a double major in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She achieved a 3.99 cumulative grade point average through the 2011 fall semester. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Earlier this spring, the Willamette Athletics Department staff selected Dinsmore as the winner of the Jean Williams Award for 2011-12. The award is presented annually to a graduating senior female student-athlete who has developed and demonstrated strong leadership skills and outstanding athleticism, while maintaining a high rank of scholarship during her collegiate career.

She also was honored as the Women's Senior Scholar-Athlete at Willamette for having the highest cumulative grade point average among graduating seniors on the WU women's athletic teams. She was named First Team Capital One Academic All-District in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Dinsmore won Northwest Conference individual championships in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash this season. She also helped WU finish second in the 4 x 100-meter relay and the 4 x 400-meter relay. In 2010, she won the NWC 400-meter championship. In 2009 and 2010, she helped WU win back-to-back 4 x 400-meter relay titles.

On Willamette's all-time track and field lists, Dinsmore is ranked in the all-time Top 10 in all three sprints. She holds second place in the 100 and the 200 and is sixth in the 400 (57.50 seconds).

Athletes nominated for Capital One Academic All-District and Capital One Academic All-America recognition 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.

Separate Academic All-District and Academic All-America teams were chosen for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III. A College Division team was selected for student-athletes from NAIA, NJCAA and Canadian colleges and universities.