April 6, 2007

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Cleveland, Ohio -- The 21 winners of the fifth annual Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Teams were announced today by the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA).

"We are very proud of these winners," says Jean Lenti Ponsetto, chair of the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team Selection Committee and athletics director at DePaul University. "They personify the definition of `student-athlete' and we are proud to have our Association affiliated with such a quality group of individuals."

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 sophomore athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year 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 were selected as the Division I-AAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Receiving the women's honor was Sarah Tyler McIIwraith, an early childhood education major from Saint Louis University, with a 3.93 GPA; while the men's award went to Anthony Tolliver, a finance major from Creighton University, with a 3.53 GPA.

A special Review Committee of Division I-AAA athletics directors was responsible for selecting the winners. Completing this task were Committee Chair Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul; Jerry Baker, Charleston; 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 sixth 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 42nd 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 nine professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.