April 17, 2008

(Clarion, Pa.): Clarion's NCAA Champion diver Teagan Riggs (Sr. Meadville) and women's basketball standout Ashley Grimm (Sr. Sugarloaf/Hazleton) were named today to the PSAC's (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) Winter Academic Top Ten Award.

Voted on by the league's Sports Information Directors, the PSAC Top Ten awards recognize student athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition. Only two student athletes can be nominated from each member school, student athletes must have a minimum cumulative QPA of 3.25 and must be a starter or key reserve on a PSAC athletic team. The PSAC honors a total of ten student athletes (5 male, 5 female) following each of its three seasons (Fall, Winter & Spring). The Winter Top Ten awards included the sports of wrestling, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming and diving, and men's and women's indoor track and field.

The 2008 PSAC Women's Winter Top Ten included Grimm and Riggs, Amber Hackenberg (Bloomsburg), Jennifer Hansen (Slippery Rock), and Lauren Beckley (Shippensburg). The men's award winners were Chris Bach (E. Stroud), Chris Cummings (Mansfield), Matt Fittery (Lock Haven), Pawel Glowiak (IUP) and Dave Sanford (Mansfield).

Riggs, a senior diver from Meadville, carries a 3.67 QPA in Molecular Biology. Riggs, an 8-time NCAA Division II All-America diver, capped her brilliant career in March by becoming an NCAA champion. She won the D-II individual title on the 3-meter board scoring 455 points. She also finished second at nationals on 1-meter this year with 409 points, as the Golden Eagles placed 8th as a team at the D-II Nationals.

In 2007 Riggs placed second on three-meter with 429.15 points, behind Clarion's 7-time NCAA Champ Jamie Wolf. Riggs also placed 4th at nationals on one meter in 2007 as the team placed 8th at the D-II Nationals. She was also 5th on 3 meter and 9th on one meter at nationals in 2006 and 7th on one meter in 2005.

Teagan is the daughter of Tim and Marcie Riggs.

Grimm, a senior point guard on the Women's Basketball team at Clarion, is a 3.96 QPA while studying Biology/Pre-Medicine. This is the second straight year she captured this award. A four-year starter at Clarion, Grimm led the PSAC and was 10th in the nation in assists per game (6.33), and second in the PSAC in Assist/Turnover ratio at 1.60. In 2008 she contributed 8.9ppg, 171 assists, and 53 steals, while shooting 80% from the free throw line and 44% from the floor. Clarion posted an 18-9 overall record, was 8-4 in the PSAC-West, and the Eagles narrowly missed the NCAA D-II Playoffs. Her top game came against East Stroudsburg where she had a triple double (10 points, 10 rebs, 12 assists), the first triple-double at Clarion in 15 years.

In 2007 she had 137 assists, averaged 6.8ppg, led the team with 51 steals and shot 76% from the free throw. In 2006 she collected 8.1ppg, dished out 136 assists and made 53 steals, while as a freshman she added 5.7ppg, 125 assists and 60 steals. The team was 23-7 overall and 10-2 in the PSAC-West that season (2005) and qualified for the NCAA Playoffs.

In her outstanding career she set a new Clarion assist record with 569, breaking the old mark of 470 held by Shelly Respecki (1991-92). Grimm scored 807 points, 217 steals, shot 42.3% from the floor (281 of 664) and 72.8% from the free throw line (158 of 217).

President of the Clarion SAAC, and V-P of Student Senate, Ashley is the daughter of Richard and Jane Grimm.