May 13, 2009
Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham University senior Clifton Hilario (Circleville, N.Y./Pine Bush) and graduate student Melissa Salerno (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point) were recognized for their athletic and academic accomplishments by being named to the 2009 Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team for outdoor track and field in a vote by the conference's Sports Information Directors.
To be nominated for Academic All-Conference honors, a player must be a starter or important reserve and have a cumulative 3.0 gpa or better (on a 4.0 scale) for his/her entire academic career.
Hilario, an Accounting major who was also named Academic All-Atlantic 10 for cross country and indoor track and field this year, placed 19th in the 800m at the Atlantic 10 Championship on May 2nd. He was also a member of the 4x800 relay that took third and the 4x400 that placed fourth at the Atlantic 10 Championship.
This spring, Hilario has Fordham's third fastest 800m time (1:54.90).
At the 2009 Block F Awards Dinner on April 29th, Hilario was the recipient of the 2009 Harter Award, presented to the College of Business Administration senior athlete who has made significant academic and athletic contributions.
Hilario was also named Academic All-Atlantic 10 for both indoor and outdoor track in 2007-08 and he joins Jonathan Scott (2000-01) as the only Fordham athlete to earn Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team honors for all three seasons.
As a sophomore and junior, Hilario earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a member of the winning 4x800 relay team at the Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.
Salerno, a student in the Graduate School of Education who is a team captain this year, earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in two events, placing second in both the 800m and 1500m at the Atlantic 10 Championship. She was also a member of the 4x800 relay that placed third at the Atlantic 10 Championship and ninth at the Penn Relays.
In other spring races, Salerno won the won the 800m and the 1,500m at the 2009 Metropolitan Championship and she has recorded Fordham's fastest 800m (2:11.09) and 1500m (4:27.85) times.
Salerno also earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors by taking second in the 1000m at the 2008 Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.
Hilario and Salerno will both compete for Fordham this weekend at the ECAC/IC4A Championship to be held at Princeton.
