CEDAR CITY, Utah ? June 26 ? Southern Utah senior Jess Baumgartner has been recognized as a member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Track and Field First-Team after an All-American season in cross country and a track and field season that led to an NCAA regional showing.

Baumgartner finished third in the NCAA Cross Country Championships during the fall, becoming the first Thunderbird All-American since Natalie Gibson in the 400-meter hurdles in 1999.

During the track and field season, Baumgartner helped the Thunderbirds to both the indoor and outdoor conference title as well as picking up individual championships in the 5,000 and 10,000-meters at the outdoor championships.

Baumgartner went on to run in the 5,000-meters at the NCAA Regional Championships, marking the fourth time in four years that he had qualified to compete on the national stage during an outdoor track and field season.

The Academic All-American citation is Baumgartner's third of his career after two third-team honors in 2004-05 and 2005-06.  He is the first first-team selection in SUU track and field history.

Baumgartner recently graduated with a 3.89 G.P.A. in Chemistry from Southern Utah University and was a member of the Alpha Chi honor society after having graduated in the top 10-percent of upper-division full-time students.  He is expected to return in the fall for his final year of eligibility in cross country.