South Dakota State University seniors Ashlea Muckenhirn and Jennifer Warkenthien have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Women’s Basketball First Team, which was announced Thursday.

Both players, who have been a part of three consecutive Jackrabbit teams to have led all divisions of women’s college basketball in team grade-point average, will advance to the national ballot later this month for University Division Academic All-America consideration.

A native of Osceola, Wis., Muckenhirn was selected to the seven-member first team with a perfect 4.0 GPA in sociology. In her four-year career with the Jackrabbits, Muckenhirn has played in 112 games at guard, including 84 starts. A starter in 21 of 23 games this season, she ranks in a tie for second on the team with 24 steals and is fourth with 36 assists. Muckenhirn also leads active Jackrabbit players with 108 career three-pointers and 130 career steals.

Warkenthien, a forward from Willow Lake, made the first team with a 3.89 GPA in early childhood education. A starter in 90 of 105 career games played, Warkenthien ranks 20th in career scoring at SDSU with 1,179 points and 10th all-time with 676 rebounds. The recipient of the Summit League Player of the Week honors each of the last three weeks, Warkenthien currently leads the nationally ranked Jackrabbits in scoring (15.7 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg), field goal shooting (53.1 percent), assists (47), steals (33) and blocked shots (27).

Selections to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Team are based on votes by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America from South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in athletic standing, maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.3 and be a starter or key reserve.

2009 ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT VII WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM
• Rachel Blunt, Sr., Southeast Missouri State, 4.00, sports management
• Kelsey Keizer, Sr., Drake (Iowa), 3.97, finance/secondary education
• Shalee Lehning, Sr., Kansas State, 3.73, electronic journalism
• Theresa Lisch, Jr., Saint Louis (Mo.), 3.95, communication science and disorders
• Ashlea Muckenhirn, Sr., South Dakota State, 4.00, sociology
• Marcy Sudbeck, Sr., Wichita State (Kan.), 3.96, exercise science/pre-physician assistant
• Jennifer Warkenthien, Sr., South Dakota State, 3.89, early childhood education

2009 ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT VII WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM
• Rebecca Feickert, Jr., Kansas, 4.00, accounting
• Marlies Gipson, Sr., Kansas State, 3.58, elementary education
• Ashley Sweat, Jr., Kansas State, 3.61, kinesiology