Bowman, a junior from Warrenton, Va., and sophomore Phoebe Wright of Signal Mountain, Tenn., were each voted to the first team.  Both will be candidates for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America distinction, and that team will be announced on June 25.

The owner of a 3.85 grade point average in human resource management, Bowman is the recipient of first-team accolades after garnering second-team acclaim in 2007.  The 2008 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, Bowman is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and a USTFCCCA Track & Field/Cross Country All-Academic Team choice.

On the track, the Fauquier High School graduate is a five-time All-American, anchoring UT to a national title in the distance medley relay (DMR) in 2008 and placing third in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She was the runner-up in the 1500m at the NCAA Mideast Regional two weekends ago and enters next week’s NCAA Outdoor Championship meet ranked fifth in the field in that event in 4:14.06.  Among her awards in 2008 are USTFCCCA Indoor All-American and USTFCCCA Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

At the SEC level in 2008, Bowman won the mile, 3000m and DMR indoors and claimed the 1500m crown at the league outdoor meet.  For her work, she was a first-team All-SEC selection indoors and out and a two-time SEC Female Runner of the Week.

Also a standout in cross country, Bowman is a three time All-SEC performer (2005-07) and has twice garnered All-South Region kudos (2006-07).  She helped UT claim SEC and NCAA South Regional cross country titles in 2005 and make NCAA appearances in 2005 and 2006.

Wright, meanwhile, is making her first appearance on the academic all-district squad. The former walk-on from Red Bank High School owns a stellar 3.97 GPA in ecology and evolutionary biology. She is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and also a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member.

On the track, Wright is a two-time All-American, having won a national championship with the UT distance medley relay and placing eighth on the 4x400m relay at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships. She has qualified for the NCAA Outdoor meet in the 800m and will enter the event ranked 12th in the field at 2:04.92.

Additionally this season, Wright finished third in the 800m at the SEC Indoor Championships and ran the 800m leg on UT’s victorious DMR unit for the second season in a row.  Outdoors, she placed third in the 800m at the SEC Championships and came in fourth at the Mideast Regional to earn her first individual event bid to an NCAA meet.

Wright also runs cross country for the Big Orange. She posted career-best times at 4K, 5K and 6K in 2007 and contributed to the team’s scoring cause on three occasions during the fall, including at the NCAA South Regional.

“As a coach, it is very gratifying to see two student-athletes have the character as Sarah and Phoebe do, to be able to balance both their academic and athletic worlds,” UT Head Coach J.J. Clark said. “That is very difficult and very challenging.  To be able to be on top of your game like they are is something I believe their teammates look at and say, ‘wow, they’ve done this, and I know it can be done.’  I congratulate them and wish them continued success.”