Academic All-Americans of the Year to be announced Tuesday on ESPNU, SU's Ackermann a finalist

TOWSON, Md. - The wait will end tomorrow evening for Salisbury University women's lacrosse standout Sue Ackermann as the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year award will be announced live on ESPNU, for the first-time ever, on Tuesday evening, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. (EST). Ackermann re-wrote the record book in '08 for the Sea Gulls as the All-American attacker led the maroon and gold to the NCAA national semifinals and a 22-game winning streak.

Selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the award winners will be announced as part of The Big 12 Conference College Football Preview Show.

The Academic All-American of the Year honor, which began in 1987-88, is awarded to the most outstanding student-athlete of the year and is chosen from the student-athletes who have been awarded Team Member of the Year honors. From over 360,000 student-athletes in the nation, just 816 are selected as Academic All-America Team members each year, 24 are selected as Team Members of the Year and two are named Academic All-America of the Year.

A College Division and University Division winner will be announced.

The top candidates for the College Division award include 2008 IWLCA Division III Scholar-Athlete of the Year Sue Ackermann of Salisbury (Women's At-Large, Lacrosse), pitcher Maria Bye of St. Thomas (Softball), Gabe MacDougall of Lynn (Baseball), National Swimmer of the Year Josh Mitchell of Kenyon (Men's At-Large, Swimming), Sarah Richardson of national champion Wheaton College (Women's Soccer), National Player of the Year Troy Ruths of NCAA champion Washington (Mo.) University (Men's Basketball), and Harlon Hill Trophy winner Danny Woodhead of Chadron State (Football).

Among the leading candidates for the University Division Academic All-America of the Year award are Olympian Rachel Buehler of Stanford (Women's Soccer), Adam Emmenecker of Drake (Men's Basketball), All-American lacrosse player Mike Leveille of national champion Syracuse (Men's At-Large; Lacrosse), All-American tennis player Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech (Women's At-Large, Tennis), National Player of the Year Candace Parker of NCAA champion Tennessee (Women's Basketball), All-American Sarah Pavan of Nebraska (Volleyball) and Buster Posey of Florida State (Baseball).

"With nearly 12,000 student athletes being nominated for Academic All-America each year, and considering the number of athletes competing in intercollegiate sports, to reach the epitome of what it means to be a successful student-athlete and be selected as the best of the best is quite an amazing achievement," said Bentley College's Dick Lipe, CoSIDA Academic All-America chair.

Former recipients of Academic All-America of the Year honors include Rebecca Lobo (1994-95), Peyton Manning (1997-98), Chad Pennington (1999-00), Stacey Dales-Schuman (2001-02) and Emeka Okafor (2003-04). A complete list of the previous recipients of the AAA of the Year award follows.

ESPN The Magazine, winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence, is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America ® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.

2007-2008 ESPN THE MAGAZINE SPORT-BY-SPORT
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS OF THE YEAR

COLLEGE DIVISION

Name (School) - Sport - Cl. - Hometown
Major, G.P.A.

• Sue Ackermann (Salisbury) - Women's At-Large - Sr. - Sykesville, Md.
  Major, GPA: Exercise Science, 3.91
• Rachel Anderson (Illinois Wes.) - Women's Track - Sr. - Clinton, Ill.
  Major, GPA: Business Administration, 3.80
• Maria Bye (St. Thomas - Minn.) - Softball - Sr. - Maple Plain, Minn.
  Major, GPA: Biochemistry, 3.93
• Jamison Dague (Ohio Wesleyan) - Men's Soccer - Sr. - Bexley, Ohio
  Major, GPA: Politics and Government, 3.96
• Kelly Downs (Elizabethtown) - Volleyball - Sr. - Airville, Pa.
  Major, GPA: Occupational Therapy, 3.55
• Lindsay Ippel (Millikin) - Women's Basketball - Sr. - Decatur, Ill.
  Major, GPA: Nursing, 3.54
• Gabe MacDougall (Lynn) - Baseball - Jr. - Oak Run, Calif.
  Major, GPA: Psychology, 4.00
• Josh Mitchell (Kenyon) - Men's At-Large - Sr. - Iron Mountain, Mich.
  Major, GPA: Biochemistry, 3.89
• Fritz Nugent (Redlands) - Men's Track - Gr. - Tinley Park, Ill.
  Major, GPA: Studio Art, 3.66 (3.95 grad.)
• Sarah Richardson (Wheaton - Ill.) - Women's Soccer - Sr. - Marshall, Mich.
  Major, GPA: Business and Economics, 3.56
• Troy Ruths (Washington - Mo.) - Men's Basketball - Sr. - Sugar Land, Tex.
  Major, GPA: Computer Science, 4.00
• Danny Woodhead (Chadron St.) - Football - Sr. - North Platte, Neb.
  Major, GPA: Math and Physical Education, 3.72

UNIVERSITY DIVISION

Name (School) - Sport - Cl. - Hometown
Major, G.P.A.

• Anton Axelsson (Jacksonville) - Men's Soccer - Sr. - Vaxjo, Sweden
  Major, GPA: Psychology & Philosophy, 3.98
• Rachel Buehler (Stanford) - Women's Soccer - Sr. - Del Mar, Calif.
  Major, GPA: Human Biology, 4.02
• Brandon Cramer (Dayton) - Football - Sr. - Toledo, Ohio
  Major, GPA:  Pre-Med, 4.00
• Adam Emmenecker (Drake) - Men's Basketball - Sr. - Saginaw, Mich.
  Major, GPA: Business, Finance & Mgmt., 3.97
• Donovan Kilmartin (Texas) - Men's Track - Gr. - Eagle, Idaho
  Major, GPA: Petro. Engineering, 3.55 (3.33 grad)
• April Kubishta (Arizona State) - Women's Track - Gr. - Lake Havasu, Ariz.
  Major, GPA: Non-Degree Grad. Student, 3.79
• Mike Leveille (Syracuse) - Men's At-Large - Sr. - Delmar, N.Y.
  Major, GPA: Accounting, 3.87
• Kristi Miller (Georgia Tech) - Women's At-Large - Sr. - Marysville, Mich.
  Major, GPA: History, Technology & Society, 4.00
• Candace Parker (Tennessee) - Women's Basketball - Sr. - Naperville, Ill.
  Major, GPA: Sport Management, 3.35
• Sarah Pavan (Nebraska) - Volleyball - Sr. - Kitchener, Ontario
  Major, GPA: Biochemistry, 4.00
• Buster Posey (Florida State) - Baseball - Jr. - Leesburg, Ga.
  Major, GPA: Finance, 3.80
• Angela Tincher (Virginia Tech) - Softball - Sr. - Eagle Rock, Va.
  Major, GPA: Finance, 3.84

ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

2006-07: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska (Volleyball); Jamie Wolf, Clarion (At-Large)
2005-06: Christine Sinclair, Portland (Soccer); Josh Lamberson, Northwest Missouri St. (Football) 
2004-05: Alex Smith, Utah (Football); Carli Dale, Juniata (Volleyball)
2003-04: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut (Basketball); Kristen Shields, Whitworth (Track & Field)
2002-03: Theresa Kulikowski, Utah (Gymnastics); Ashley Rowatt, Kenyon (Swimming)
2001-02: Stacey Dales-Schuman, Oklahoma (Basketball); T.J. Hess, Widener (Football)
2000-01: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame (Basketball); Emily Bloss, Emporia State (Basketball)
1999-00: Chad Pennington, Marshall (Football); Korey Coon, Illinois Wesleyan (Basketball)
1998-99: Matt Stinchcomb, Georgia (Football); Kelly Schade, Simpson (Softball)
1997-98: Peyton Manning, Tennessee (Football): Brad Gray, MIT (Football)
1996-97: Danny Wuerffel, Florida (Football): Julie Roe, Millikin (Basketball)
1995-96* Todd Fuller, North Carolina St. (Basketball); Chris Palmer, St. John's (Minn.) (Football)
1994-95: Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut (Basketball); (tie) Rob Zatechka, Nebraska (Football)
1993-94: Carl Erikson, Oberlin (Tennis)
1992-93: Jim Hansen, Colorado (Football)
1991-92: Tommy Vardell, Stanford (Football)
1990-91: Al Parker, Tennis (Georgia)
1989-90: Alec Kessler,  Georgia (Basketball) 
1988-89: James Martin, Penn St. (Wrestling) 
1987-88: Michael Smith, Brigham Young (Basketball)

* From 1988-1995 only one winner was chosen per year. Beginning in 1996 the format was changed to select one winner per year in each division (college and university).