Cal State San Bernardino cross country runner Shawna Alvarez has been voted to the 2007-08 ESPN-The Magazine Academic all-District 8 (West Region) academic first team in the college division. 
    Alvarez, of Twentynine Palms, has a cumulative grade point average of 3.96 in her first two years at CSUSB while competing both years in cross country. She is a nursing major. 
    The sophomore distance runner competed in all seven events for the Coyotes last fall, posting career best times of 20:16 for the 5,000 meter distance at the UC Riverside Highlander Invitational and 23:42 for 6,000 meters at the NCAA West Regional in Boise, Idaho. 
    Alvarez earned California Collegiate Athletic Association academic all-star recognition for posting a grade point average of 3.5 or better in 2006-07, her freshman year. She has received the Coyote Athletics "Leader of the Pack" academic awards every quarter since she enrolled. 
    She will now be on the ballot for ESPN-The Magazine Academic All-America honors with first-team selections from seven other districts covering NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools. The awards program is coordinated by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA). 
    The only other public university represented on the all-region academic first team was Cal State Stanislaus, also a member of the CCAA, which placed Kirsten Loftin on the team. Natalie Calderon of University of Redlands was the only other Southern California-based student-athlete honored. 
    The CSUSB women's cross country team has earned national academic honors from the NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association for eight straight years, meaning the entire team averaged better than 3.0 GPA for the fall quarter during their season. 
    "What I like best about Cal State is my teammates," Alvarez said. "They are the best. They make it worthwhile." 
    The 2006 graduate of Twentynine Palms High School was the "runner of the year" in cross country and track for the Wildcats and set a school record for 800 meters while competing for her coaches -- Ken Wentz and Nathan Niles. 
    Her most memorable sports moment was her team's regular victories in the league championship 4X400 relays during high school. Her parents are Armando Alvarez of Anaheim and Eve and Tim Stanford of Twentynine Palms.