Pavan Finalist for Academic All-American of the Year

TOWSON, Md. ? For the first time, the winners of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year awards will be announced live on ESPNU on Tuesday evening, August 12 at 5:30 p.m. (central).

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 University Division and a College Division winner will be announced.

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).

Pavan completed one of the most decorated careers in NCAA history in 2007. As a senior,  she was named Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year, AVCA First-Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year, capturing the Big 12 honor for the third straight year. The senior right-side hitter led NU to its fourth-straight Big 12 title with a 19-1 league record and a 30-2 overall mark with a trip to the NCAA Regional final, where she was named to the all-tournament team.  Other career honors include the 2006-07 Honda-Broderick Cup winner and AVCA National Player of the Year. One of only four athletes in NCAA history to be a four-time first-team All-American, Pavan guided the Huskers to a 126-7 record over her career with two NCAA finals appearances and the 2006 national title. Pavan holds Nebraska school records for career kills (2,008) and kills per game (4.56).

In addition to her athletic accomplishments, the Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, native graduated in May with a 4.0 grade-point average in biochemistry. She was selected as a 2008 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award winner and earned a 2008 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Pavan was named ESPN The Magazine’s Volleyball Academic All-American of the Year in both 2006 and 2007 and was the winner across all University division sports in 2006-07.

The top candidates for the College Division award include 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).

"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

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

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

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)