Colorado University Athletics

McFarland Tabbed Academic All-American

McFarland Tabbed Academic All-American

BOULDER ? University of Colorado senior forward Jackie McFarland was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Basketball Team University Division for the third straight year, this time as a first team member, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Feb. 26.

 

McFarland earned second team honors in 2006 and 2007. She is Colorado’s third three-time Academic All-American, joining Jim Hansen (Football, 1990-92) and Kelly Smith (Cross Country/Track & Field, 1996-98), and the Buffs’ initial women’s basketball first team honoree.

 

She joins Candace Parker of Tennessee, Delaney Conway of Portland State, Laura Rudolphi of Indiana State and Lindsay Whorton of Drake on the five-member first team. A total of 16 women’s basketball student-athletes were honored as Academic-All Americans with five on the second team and six on the third team.

 

Sporting a 3.86 GPA, McFarland is working on a concurrent degree program which will allow her to earn her MBA while completing her undergraduate degree in accounting. McFarland won CU’s Scholar-Athlete Award in the spring of 2007 for having the highest GPA in her class. McFarland is a three-year team captain and is actively involved in CU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

 

A 2007 Associated Press honorable mention All-American and first team All-Big 12 Conference selection, McFarland currently paces the Buffaloes with 17.6 points and eight rebounds per game while hitting 56 percent from the field. She can be found among the leaders in most Big 12 statistical categories ranking second in field-goal percentage and minutes, third in scoring, fifth in rebounding and free-throw percentage and 12th in blocked shots.

 

CU’s all-time leader in free throws made (526), McFarland is just the second player in team history ? joining Lisa Van Goor (1980-85) to register 1,700 points and 900 rebounds in her career. She is third on CU’s all-time scoring list, needing 22 points to reach 1,800, and also third in rebounding, just 21 shy of reaching 1,000.

 

McFarland also ranks second in free throws attempted and double-doubles, fourth in blocked shots, fifth in field goals made, and sixth minutes played on CU’s all-time charts. She needs 42 points to become the only player in team history to record 500 points in three different seasons and is only 19 free-throws made from breaking her own school single-season record of 161 set in 2006-07.

 

A native of Derby, Kan., McFarland is currently one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award ? presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight sports ? focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.

 

McFarland is a 2008 Naismith Award semifinalist and she was tabbed as a preseason first team All-Big 12 selection and one of the top five power forwards in the country by ESPN.com.