HONOLULU - Stacie Hirano and Kate Judd, two members of the 2002 University of Hawai`i softball team, were selected today to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-American District VIII First Team.

Hirano, a senior, carries a cumulative 3.65 grade point average while majoring in business. The native of Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawai`i, has started every game for UH in 2002 in left field. She is batting .282 overall with seven doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 RBI, and scored 30 times.

Judd, a junior, has a 3.22 cumulative grade point average majoring in Health Education. The Canberra, Australia-native is the Western Athletic Conference's incumbent player-of-the-year in 2001 and is having another banner season in 2002. She leads the team batting .357 overall with 13 doubles, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, and scored 30 runs.

The selection is made each year by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible for consideration, the student-athlete must carry a 3.20 GPA or higher (on a 4.0 scale), must be in at least her second year of participation at the school, and must be an important squad contributor.

District VIII is represented by Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai`i, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and British Columbia. The members of the first team student-athletes only advance to the Verizon All-American national ballot. The national Verizon Academic All-American Softball team will be announced June 6, 2002.