April 9, 2010
Ashley Danner, a sophomore swimmer from Springfield, Va. and Kevin Wilson, a junior sprinter from Virginia Beach, Va. had superb performances in March and for their accomplishments, they were named the George Mason Female and Male Athletes of the Month for March.
Danner competed just once in March at the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., and earned three All-America finishes, highlighted by a runner-up time in the 100-yard breaststroke (59.29). Danner's second-place finish is the highest by any Patriot swimmer or diver in the program's history and is the highest by a Colonial Athletic Association swimmer in the conference's history. She also placed sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:08.95) and was 15th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:00.80), garnering All-America honorable mention. Her performances in March brought her total career All-America tally to four, after she earned honorable mention her freshman season in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Wilson competed three times in March and each performance was of national note. First he won the 500-meters at the IC4A Indoor Championships. Then he was part of the All-American 4X400-meter relay team that finished seventh at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Finally, he competed at the Raleigh Relays to start his outdoor season and he earned a qualifying time for May's Outdoor IC4A Championships.
This is the fourth Student-Athlete of the Month award for Danner. She won the award last month as well as October of 2008 and February of 2009. She is the second person to win back-to-back S-A of the Month awards and the second four-time winner. Ryann Hendricks previously accomplished both those feats.
The previous winners of the Male Student Athlete of the Month award are Sean Kelley (Sept., soccer), Eric Knight (Oct., swimming and diving), Luke Hancock (Nov., basketball), Mendbagaba Tovuujav (Dec., wrestling), Cam Long (Jan., basketball) and Eric Knight (Feb., swimming and diving) while the previous winners this year of the Female Student Athlete of the Month award are Tiana Kallenberger (Sept., soccer), Kristen Meier (Oct., swimming and diving), Holly Goode (Nov., volleyball), Amber Easter (Dec., basketball), Meier (Jan., swimming and diving) and Ashley Danner (Feb., swimming and diving).
