Eckley earns NCAA award

Senior pole vaulter wins post-graduate scholarship

ABILENE -- ACU senior pole vaulter Katie Eckley has been awarded a $7,500 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship for her work both on the track and in the classroom.

Eckley is the 25th Wildcat to win the award since 1966 when track and field standout Charles Christmas won ACU's first post-graduate award.  ACU's 24 post-graduate winners are the second-highest total in the state of Texas, behind only the University of Texas.

Eckley, a second team academic all-America selection in 2004, has a 3.83 grade point average while majoring in liberal arts.  The two-time first team academic all-District VI selection finished seventh at the NCAA Division II indoor championship meet in March to earn the seventh all-America honor of her career.

Eckley won the 2003 outdoor national championship in Edwardsville, Ill., clearing 12-5.50 to win the event.  As a junior in 2004, she cleared 13-2.50 to briefly set NCAA II, LSC and ACU all-time bests.

She is a solid provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II outdoor championship meet, which will be May 26-28 at Elmer Gray Stadium on the ACU campus.