MediaContact:LindseyMauroinfo@scholarballer.org

NCASandScholarBaller®AnnounceNationalAcademicMomentumAwardRecipients:

49Student‐AthletesRecognizedforAcademicImprovement

Orlando,FL…December7,2011‐TheScholarBaller®program,inconjunctionwiththeNationalConsortiumforAcademicsandSports(NCAS),announcedtherecipientsofthe2011AcademicMomentumAward.Eighty‐ninenominationswerereceivedfrom55differentcollegesanduniversities.Topnominationswerecategorizedintothreeteamsbasedoneachstudent‐athlete’sacademicimprovementandtheimpacteachstudent‐athlete’sacademicperformancehadonhisorherclassmates,teammates,academicadvisors,andprofessors.Atotalof17maleandfemaleawardrecipientsfromNCASpartnerschoolswereselectedfortheFirstTeam,16recipientswerechosenfortheSecondTeam,and16recipientswereselectedfortheThirdTeam.Thenames,schools,majors,andsportsoftheFirstTeamAcademicMomentumAwardrecipientsare:

ChristopherBass,LouisianaStateUniversity,GeneralStudies,BasketballChelseaCarrier,WestVirginiaUniversity,ChildDevelopment,TrackandFieldErinDavis,UniversityofNebraska‐Lincoln,Psychology,GymnasticsAntonioFenelus,UniversityofWisconsin,Football,Family,Consumer,andCommunityEducationJanaeFulcher,ArizonaStateUniversity,InterdisciplinaryStudies,BasketballCurenskiGilleylen,UniversityofNebraska‐Lincoln,CivilEngineering,Football RobertGolabek,UniversityatBuffalo,Communication,TrackandFieldGimelGordon,GeorgiaStateUniversity,Nursing,SoccerShannonHoffman,UniversityofWisconsin,HumanDevelopmentandFamilyStudies,RowingConnorLade,St.JohnsUniversity,SportsManagement,SoccerRobertMcLarney,RutgersUniversity,Communication,SoccerJessicaPanza,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,BusinessManagement,GymnasticsLatoyaParkinson,AuburnUniversity,Mathematics,TrackTrentRichardson,UniversityofAlabama,GeneralStudies,FootballSheilaReid,VillanovaUniversity,English,CrossCountryAnthonySalciccia,UniversityofCaliforniaBerkley,SocialWelfare,SoccerNatalieVillarreal,TexasA&MUniversity,AgriculturalLeadershipandDevelopment,SoftballThenames,schools,majors,andsportsoftheSecondTeamAcademicMomentumAwardrecipientsare:

TylerBitancurt,WestVirginiaUniversity,MultidisciplinaryStudies,FootballAunyeBoone,VirginiaTech,English,Track&FieldBrookeBorneman,IndianaUniversity,FitnessSpecialist,FieldHockeyDakotaCrockett,TexasA&MUniversityCommerce,GraphicDesign,VolleyballJanelleDavis,CanisiusCollege,ChildhoodEducation,VolleyballMichaelGenovese,SetonHallUniversity,ElementarySpecialEducation,BaseballJamionHartley,BallStateUniversity,Business,Volleyball

KariHonomichl,NiagaraUniversity,Communications,VolleyballSarahLizotte,UCSanDiego,Undeclared,WaterPoloAmandaMontalto,BallStateUniversity,GeneralStudies,SoftballStephanieNorton,UniversityofConnecticut,EnvironmentalEngineering,LacrosseJamalParks,OklahomaStateUniversity,Education,WrestlingCecillePerez,AbileneChristianUniversity,CriminalJustice,BasketballLukeSpencer,XavierUniversity,PreOccupationalTherapy,SoccerShealynSullivan,GeorgianCourtUniversity,History,SoccerKaylaVitale,DowlingCollege,Psychology,SoccerThenames,schools,majors,andsportsoftheThirdTeamAcademicMomentumAwardrecipientsare:

StephenBailey,FloridaInternationalUniversity,CriminalJustice,FootballAshleyBenson,IndianaUniversity,GeneralStudies,VolleyballMarkDodds,FloridaInternationalUniversity,LiberalStudies,BaseballJanaeGrimes,SanJoseCityCollege,FashionDesign/Business,SoftballAprilHutchens,ValdostaStateUniversity,DeafEducation,SoftballVerdellJonesII,IndianaUniversity,SportCommunication/Broadcasting,BasketballChanelKing,St.JohnsUniversity,CriminalJustice,TrackandFieldLindseyLamar,UniversityofSouthFlorida,Communications,FootballShellyLyons,ArizonaStateUniversity,CriminalJustice,FootballGeoffreyNavarro,MonmouthUniversity,HealthStudies,TrackandFieldDeShawnPainter,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,SocialWork,BasketballMatthewPierce,ValdostaStateUniversity,CriminalJustice,FootballKorneyRhoades,UniversityofSouthCarolina,PublicHealth,SoccerKierstenTupper,UniversityofConnecticut,HumanDevelopmentandFamilyStudies,LacrosseAthaliaSmith,SacredHeartUniversity,BusinessAdministration,TrackandFieldKhymestWilliams,UniversityofCentralFlorida,SportsandExerciseScience,FootballAwardnominationsincludedstoriesof:workingwithalearningspecialisttoprogressacademically;perseveringonthequestforacademicsuccesswhileinspiringpeersandteammatestoexcelintheclassroom,becomingthefirstintheirfamilytograduatewithadegreefromacollegeoruniversity;beinganinternationalstudentwhohadtoperseverethroughhardshipsbothacademicallyandeconomically;andorganizinglocalcommunityserviceinitiatives.TheNCASisanever‐growingorganizationofcollegesanduniversitiesthatprovidesopportunitiesforcurrentandformerstudent‐athletestocontinuetheirpursuitofhighereducation,whileworkinginthecommunitywithchildrentoaddresssocialissues.Establishedin1985,theoverallmissionoftheNCASis“tocreateabettersocietybyfocusingoneducationalattainmentandusingthepowerappealofsporttopositivelyaffectsocialchange.”Establishedin1995,theScholarBaller®movementevolvedinresponsetoconcernsthatthestudent‐athlete’sathleticsroleincreasinglysupersededthestudentrole.Inordertoaddressthisissue,thefoundingmembersofScholarBallerdevelopedagroundbreakingprogramtobridgethegapbetweeneducationandsportutilizingstudent‐athletes’passionforentertainmentandathletics.Asaresult,theScholarBallerprogramhasproducedunprecedentedoutcomesinstudentretentionandacademicachievement.EachawardrecipientwillreceivearecognitioncertificateandauthenticScholarBallermedal.Inaddition,allnomineeswillreceiveaThinkMan®orThinkWoman®decal/sticker.