BOONE, N.C.- Three Appalachian State University cross country and track and field student-athletes have been named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District teams, announced CoSIDA on Thursday. Sophomore Matt Boruff, and seniors Mark Maddox and Kaitlyn Heeke earned the honors for their performances throughout the course of the 2007-08 seasons.

Boruff, a sophomore from Raleigh, N.C. was voted to the first team, making him eligible for ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Boruff is just one of two Southern Conference representatives on the 11-member first team in District III. Teammate Mark Maddox was named to the second-team, and is the lone Southern Conference representative. Heeke was named to the second-team in the women’s division, and was the only Mountaineer woman to garner the academic all-district honors.

Boruff has been a standout for the Mountaineers during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The sophomore was the 2008 Southern Conference Indoor Champion in the heptathlon, and with his performance he set a new ASU and Southern Conference record in the event, by scoring 4720 points. He improved his second-place finish in that event in 2007. Outdoors, he took home a sixth place finish in the decathlon, helping to lead the Mountaineers to their 16th outdoor conference title in school history.

Off the field, the Raleigh, N.C. native is majoring in business, and boasts an impressive 3.86 grade point average. He is also a member of the SoCon All-Academic team.

Maddox helped lead the men’s cross country team and outdoor track and field teams to Southern Conference team titles during the 2007-08 seasons. In the fall he finished sixth at the SoCon Cross Country championships, earning all-SoCon honors and in doing so, helped his team to a third-straight Southern Conference title and 11th in program history. He also earned two SoCon Runner of the Week honors for his performances throughout the 2007 season.

Maddox’s first place finish in the 3000 meter steeplechase and eighth place finish in the 5000 meter run at the SoCon Outdoor Championships helped lead the Apps to its 16th outdoor conference title.

Along with his athletic accomplishments, Maddox holds a 3.70 grade point average in the classroom. He was also named to Southern Conference’s TIAA-CREF academic all-conference team, and to the SoCon’s spring academic team. He recently completed his degree in exercise science and graduated from Appalachian this past May.

Heeke was a senior pole vaulter for the Mountaineers during 2007-08. Her strong performances during the indoor and outdoor seasons helped Appalachian women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams earn second place finishes at both conference championship meets.

At the SoCon Indoor Championships she notched the runner-up spot in the pole vault, vaulting 11-5.75. Her mark moved her into fifth on ASU’s indoor all-time list in the event. The Hickory, N.C. native was strong outdoors as well, as she earned all-SoCon honors, finishing tied for third place in the pole vault.

Heeke graduated this past May from Appalachian with a degree in accounting. While at ASU, she held a 3.82 grade point average. She was also named to both the winter and spring SoCon academic all-conference teams.

The three track athletes join five other Mountaineer honorees for the 2007-08 academic year. Appalachian’s three athletes give them the most of any Southern Conference member. Elon had two all-district members, while Davidson, UNC Greensboro and Wofford each had one.