Dec. 22, 2003

Cleveland, Ohio -- The 31 winners of the Sixth Annual Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team were announced this weekend by the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AA ADA).

The winners were chosen from 93 nominees and were announced at the Division I-AA football championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 31 members of the Division I-AA Academic All-Star Team are listed below.

"Each year, we are proud of the young men who have earned this award," said John Johnson, chair of the Division I-AA ADA Academic All-Star Team Selection Committee and athletics director at Weber State. "They represent the caliber of students and the caliber of athletes found in Division I-AA football."

Football players from all Division I-AA institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the 93 nominees were 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 key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.

Additionally, from the Academic All-Star team, eight finalists were selected for the Third Annual Division I-AA ADA's $5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship. In the first two years of the program one finalist has been selected to receive a scholarship. However this year, the program has been expanded and two student-athletes will receive postgraduate scholarships during the Association's annual membership meeting held in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention, being held at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, June 11-14, 2004.

The eight finalists are Victor Camacho, Albany, linebacker, 3.79; Dave Crockett, Lehigh, wide receiver, 3.70; John Frieser, Colgate, tight end, 3.69; Brandon Mason, Elon, center, 3.83; Russ Michna, Western Illinois, quarterback, 4.00; Kyler Randall, Eastern Washington, wide receiver, 3.88; Matthew Sharpe, Virginia Military Institute, placekicker, 3.90; and Jason Whaley, Western Carolina, offensive lineman, 3.91.

A special Review Committee of Division I-AA athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists. Completing this task were John Johnson, chair, Weber State; Kim Graham, Liberty; Wayne Hogan, Montana; Roachel Laney, Appalachian State; Don Kaverman, Southeast Missouri State; Steve McCarty, Stephen F. Austin; John Parry, Butler; and Perk Weisenburger, Illinois State.

Now in its 11th year, the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Division I-AA football. The Association is administered by NACDA, which, now in its 39th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,150 athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Through its series of management seminars, clinics and workshops and publication of the bi-monthly magazine Athletics Administration, NACDA offers educational opportunities to its members. More than 1,200 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, the Association operates the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup program, which honors the all-sports champion in each of the NCAA Divisions -- I, II and III -- and the NAIA, for a total of four trophies.