June 9, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky rifle senior Andrew Roland has been selected first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District, it was announced by the College Sports Information Directors Association. 

The native of Lake Oswego, Ore., has maintained a 3.74 cumulative GPA while earning a degree in biology. As a four-year member of the rifle team, Roland helped lead the Wildcats to four conference titles, including two regular season and two tournament championships. Roland, a 2009 first-team National Rifle Association All-American in smallbore, finished the year averaging 579.80 in smallbore. Roland earned first-team All-Conference accolades by the Great American Rifle Conference in 2009 and has tallied first and second team All-America honors in 2007 and 2006 in smallbore.

“I’m excited for Andrew,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “He is a really hard worker, a great team player and someone who I have tremendously enjoyed having the honor to coach. Getting an award like that closes out an excellent athletic and academic career. I feel very strongly that the goals that Andrew sets for himself in the future, he will work at vigorously to accomplish. We will see great things from Andrew and I am just glad to have been able to coach him for four years.”

Roland is now eligible for Academic All-America honors in the at large category. In 2006, Roland was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American by CoSIDA.

The Kentucky rifle team, winners of the 2009 GARC regular season and tournament championships, wrapped up its season with a second-place finish at the 2008-09 NCAA Championships, held in Fort Worth, Texas last March. On the final day of competition, UK came five points shy of NCAA Champion West Virginia for its fourth all-time second place finish.