May 20, 2010

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy's Alex Buck (Jr., Lisle, Ill.), Joe Lennon (Sr., Westminster, Md.), Luke Baldwin (Jr., La Grange Park, Ill.) and Mary Ruttum (Sr., Annapolis, Md.) all garnered ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District II accolades for at-large sports Thursday from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Buck and Lennon were named to the district's first team while Baldwin and Ruttum were placed onto the second team.

To be eligible for the initial district ballot, student-athletes must have attained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.30, be at a minimum a sophomore academically and a starter or key reserve on their respective team. The at-large sports program consists of women's bowling, women's crew, fencing, women's field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, men's volleyball, water polo and men's wrestling. CoSIDA's District II consists of schools located in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

A sprinter on the swimming team, Buck has posted a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average as an aerospace engineering major. He was tabbed as the 2008 Patriot League Rookie of the Year while also earning first-team all-league honors that same year and second-team honors at this season's league championship. Buck has totaled four league relay event crowns over the course of his career and has advanced to the championship final in each of the six individual events he has competed in at the league meet. Additionally, he placed first or second in 10 of the 13 50 freestyle races he competed in during the 2009-10 regular season. He helped guide the Mids to a 13-1 record on the year and the program's seventh consecutive Patriot League title.

Lennon, who was a starter in 43 of the 48 games he played in over his four years as a member of the lacrosse team, is ranked 109th in academic order of merit among the Class of 2010 which is set to graduate next Friday. He is an honors economics major who has produced a 3.74 GPA over his four years and has achieved a 4.00 GPA in four of the last seven semesters.

A two-time All-Patriot League selection, Lennon started 11 games this spring and was Navy's fourth-leading scorer on the season. His 24 points and 17 goals were both personal bests in a season that was highlighted by the program's first win over the sport's most decorated program, Johns Hopkins, since 1974. Lennon was the only player on the roster to produce a point, goal or an assist, in all 15 games this season. In fact, he capped his career by posting a point in 18 consecutive games dating back to his spectacular four-goal performance that lifted the Mids to a Patriot League Tournament victory over Colgate in 2009.

He will become the fourth son of Robert and Larue Lennon to receive his diploma from the Naval Academy, joining Clipper ('05) and Bobby ('09), both former Navy lacrosse standouts, as well as Billy ('08). He will be commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and will be stationed in Pensacola, Fla., where he will begin his quest to become a Navy pilot.

By being named to the district's first team, Buck and Lennon are now placed onto the national ballot where they will vie for Academic All-America laurels.

Baldwin, who plays attack on the water polo team, was named Honorable Mention All-America after being perhaps Navy's most consistent player during the 2009 season. His 51 points on the year ranked fourth on the team, while his 23 assists paced the squad and his 28 goals were fifth best. Additionally, Baldwin provided outstanding defense all season long and was Navy's most steady performer on both ends of the pool for most of the season. He will enter his senior season with 91 career points (44 g, 47 a).

Earlier this spring, Baldwin was named to the ACWPC Men's All-Academic and CWPA All-Academic squads, while carrying a 3.41 GPA in economics.

Ruttum was a member of the women's lacrosse team that recently won the program's first Patriot League title and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament. Tabbed earlier this spring as the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her sport, she is an honors systems engineering major who carries a 3.71 GPA. She started all 56 games of Navy's three-year Division I tenure and ranks second on the team during that time with 134 career points. This season she recorded 12 multi-point games and scored 37 points in all.

She will graduate from the Naval Academy next week at which time she will be commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy.