JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (July 14, 2006) - Senior James Rainer (Alcoa, Tenn.), along with sophomore Shane Estes (Maryville, Tenn.) and junior Anna Marie Ricciardi (Canfield, Ohio) have been named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-Academic Team. 

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and must have met the NCAA Division I regional or national qualifying standard in her event.

Rainer, an education major, is coming off one of the most successful seasons in recent history, finishing 11^th overall in the 100-meters at the NCAA Championships last month.  Rainer was the first ETSU athlete to make the championships field since the 2000 season.  On his way to nationals, Rainer ran a blazing 10.16 at the regional championships, a huge personal best, as well as a new school record.  Throughout the 2005-06 campaign, Rainer won a total of four individual Atlantic Sun championships, and was named "Athlete of the Year" following the indoor conference meet.

Estes, who is majoring in business, took a pair of A-Sun crowns on the year, winning both the indoor and outdoor high jump titles.  The sophomore has yet to lose in conference action, winning four-straight league championship events.

Ricciardi also captured a pair of conference high jump titles on the year, and finished 10^th at the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships with a career-best jump of 5-9.25 (1.76m).  The public relations major also won high jump events at the Jesse Owens Classic and the Western Carolina Invitational, and took second overall at the Vanderbilt Invitational.