April 14, 2008

Cleveland, Ohio -- The 24 winners of the sixth annual Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Teams were announced today by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA).

"These student-athletes personify the definition of student-athlete, both on and off the field," stated Jean Lenti Ponsetto, chair of the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team Selection Committee and athletics director at DePaul University. "Our Association is proud to be affiliated with such a quality group of individuals. It's an honor for the Division I-AAA ADA to annually award academic all-star teams."

Basketball players from all Division I-AAA ADA member institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials. He/she must have reached junior athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletics transfers are not eligible) and have completed a minimum of two full academic years at the nominated institution. He/she must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his/her designated position.

Additionally, from the Scholar-Athlete teams, one male and female student-athlete was selected as the Division I-AAA Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Receiving the women's honor was Allie Quigley, a physical education major from DePaul, with a 3.72 GPA; while the men's award went to Justin Brett Hare, an exercise science/health promotion major from Belmont University, with a 3.87 GPA.

A special Review Committee of Division I-AAA athletics directors were responsible for selecting the winners. Completing this task were Committee Chair Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul; Pete Carlon, Texas Arlington; Gary Cunningham, UC Santa Barbara; Don DiJulia, St. Joseph's; Gene Doris, Fairfield; Bill Husak, Loyola Marymount; John Planek, Loyola (Ill.); and Scott Street, Texas Pan American.

Now in its seventh year, the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance initiatives common to its Division I-AAA membership (those Division I institutions that do not sponsor football), in particular, aspects related to their flagship basketball programs. The Association is administered by NACDA, now in its 43rd year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,000 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 10 professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.

Men's Scholar-Athlete Team

Honorable Mention:

Pierce Philip Hibma, Creighton, 3.63, Theology, Pre-Medicine

* Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Women's Scholar-Athlete Team

Honorable Mention:

Aubrianne Rote, Wisconsin Milwaukee, 3.92, Kinesiology
Ally Thrall, Creighton, 3.78, Public Relations, Advertising
Mikaelar Whippy, Long Island, 3.54, Economics

* Scholar-Athlete of the Year