Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2002

MACKEY NAMED TO VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM

MEDFORD -- Jen Mackey (Swampscott, MA/Bishop Fenwick), an all-star shortstop on the Tufts softball team, has been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America College Division Softball First Team. Eleven players from across the nation were picked to the First Team, and 33 players overall were named to three teams that were announced recently. All players were significant contributors to their teams with grade point averages of 3.2 or better.

Mackey is the only player from the Northeast on the First Team. She earned a spot on the national ballot when she was awarded Verizon Northeast Region Academic All-America recognition earlier this spring. She was also named to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Academic Team.

Mackey led NESCAC in hitting wire-to-wire this spring, finishing at .451 (51/113). Her 51 hits were a Tufts single-season record and she scored 38 runs in 38 games. She also led the team with 24 walks, which helped her compile an amazing .554 on-base percentage at the top of the Tufts order. Her play at shortstop was consistently good, as she fielded 135 of 145 opportunities for a .931 fielding percentage.

Tufts earned its sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth and finished 29-9 overall this season. The honors then came rolling in for several players, including Mackey. Most prestigiously, she was named to the Louisville Slugger  Division III All-America Third Team. She was also picked to teams announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the ECAC and NESCAC.

Her academic work was equally stellar. She graduated from Tufts on May 19 with a cumulative grade point average over 3.7. A Dean's List student every semester, she will be attending pharmacy school at Northeastern University this fall. Mackey played on four NCAA Tournament teams at Tufts and leaves the program as its all-time leader in games played with 155.

"Needless to say, Jen was the epitome of a student-athlete," Softball Head Coach Kris Talon said. "She was an All-American on the field and in class. What more can you say?"

#