Dixon and Hansen Earn Academic All-District Accolades

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT student-athletes Keri Dixon and Leslie Hansen were recently named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 1 Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Dixon, Tech’s starting goalkeeper in field hockey, and Hansen, a four-year member of the women’s tennis team, were honored as part of the At-Large category, which encompasses all NCAA sponsored sports without a specific award. Both were tabbed to the Third Team All-District.

Dixon, a native of Bethlehem, Pa., was a First Team All-Region and All-Conference selection this past year, after helping lead MIT to its first ever New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship. Dixon recorded a 1.54 goals against average, one of the best single-season marks in Institute history, while starting every game in net for the Engineers. Also a two-time Academic All-Conference team member, Dixon carries a cumulative GPA of 4.5/5.0 as a Mechanical Engineering major.  

Hansen has put together one of the most impressive resumes in program history over her four year career. A four-time qualifier for the NCAA Individual Championship, Hansen has a career singles record of 82-17 and is 17-3 so far in 2009-10. She is a two-time All-America selection and has seven NEWMAC All-Conference nods, four times in singles and three for her doubles play. Hailing from Fairfax, Va., Hansen will graduate next month with a degree Mathematics with a minor in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and has a cumulative GPA of 4.5/5.0.

In addition to Dixon and Hansen, senior swimmer Jeff Zhou was a First Team All-District honoree in the Men’s At-Large group. As a First Team pick, Zhou will be placed on the ballot for the Academic All-America team, to be voted on and announced next month.