[January 24, 2008]

Contact: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Gulf South Conference has released the 2007 Fall All-Academic Teams, and Academic Honor Roll that includes 35 Southern Arkansas University student-athletes, seven of them named to the conference All-Academic Teams. A total of 78 student-athletes across the league were named All-Academic, including four three-time selections, and 24 who were members of the 2006 team.

The GSC All-Academic Teams are nominated by the conference sports information directors (SIDs), and selected by the SIDs and Faculty Athletic Representatives in a joint vote. Nominees must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be a freshman or first-year participant.

Members of the GSC Academic Honor Roll must post a minimum of a cumulative 3.00 GPA and have competed during their respective season. All student-athletes, including freshmen and first-year participants, are eligible for the Honor Roll.

All-Academic Team honorees from SAU are Joshua Mitchell in men’s cross country, Michaela Krcova in women’s cross country, Johnny Fields, Clayton Norman, and Benjamin (Ben) Williams in football, and Kristina Daily and Andrea Spradlin in volleyball.

Mitchell, from Alia, Hawaii, is majoring in exercise science and sports a 3.64 GPA. The senior is now a four-time (2004-2007) member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and is a two-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List (4.00 GPA) and three-time member of the SAU Dean’s List (3.50 or better). The leading runner on the 2007 SAU squad, Mitchell finished in the top three in three meets this past fall, including winning both the Ouachita Baptist Bob Gravett Invitational and Hendrix Orange Crush. He finished 35th in a 73-man field to help lead the Muleriders to a seventh-place finish at the GSC championship.

Krcova, out of Trnava, Slovakia, posted a perfect 4.00 GPA in business administration-finance. She was a member of the 2006 GSC Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time member of the SAU President’s List, with all “A’s” in her three semesters at the university. The only sophomore on the cross country all-academic teams, Krcova was the fourth-leading runner on the 2007 SAU squad, ending with four top 16 finishes.

A tight end from De Soto, Texas, Fields is one of only six members of the all-academic teams who have already graduated. He received his B.B.A. in business-administration-management this past December, posting a 3.25 GPA. Fields was named second team on the esteemed ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI Football Team this fall, and is now a four-time (2004-2007) selection to the GSC Academic Honor Roll. He was a First Team All-GSC pick this season and finished second for the Muleriders in both receptions (15) and receiving yards (215).

Norman, an offensive center out of Garrison, Texas, has a 3.53 GPA in health, kinesiology and recreation (HKR). A member of the 2006 GSC Academic Honor Roll, he has made the Dean’s List for two semesters while at Southern Arkansas. A two-year starter after transferring from Kilgore (Texas) College, Norman was a Second Team All-GSC selection this year. Anchoring the offensive line, he had 89 knockdown blocks and graded out at 80 percent for the season.

Williams, a sophomore linebacker from Texarkana, Texas, makes the all-academic team for the first time with a 3.69 GPA in chemistry-science. He was named to last year’s GSC Academic Honor Roll and has been a member of the SAU Dean’s List all three semesters while at Southern Arkansas. Also a member of the Muleriders’ special teams, Williams played in all 11 games this past year, finishing with 12 tackles, including nine solos, and broke up one pass.

A senior middle blocker from Houston, Texas, Daily sports a 3.62 GPA in accounting and is a repeat selection on the volleyball all-academic team, having received the honor last year as well. A political science minor, she is a four-time (2004-2007) member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and is a two-time member of the SAU President’s List and three-time member of the SAU Dean’s List. Daily was named First Team All-GSC this past season and became SAU’s all-time career leader in total attacks (2,934) and kills (1,224). She led this year’s Lady Mulerider squad in kills, kills per game, attack percentage, and points.

Spradlin, a setter out of Dallas, Texas, posted an impressive 3.84 GPA in accounting and is also a repeat honoree on the volleyball all-academic team. She was an ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-District VI selection this year after previously being named a first team pick last year on the prestigious team. Spradlin is now a four-time (2004-2007) member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and is a four-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List and a two-time member of the Dean’s List. A senior, she led this year’s team in assists and assists per game.

Mulerider men’s cross country members joining Mitchell on the GSC Academic Honor Roll include Nathan Blim, a freshman with a 3.20 in biological science; Colton Connelly, a freshman with a 3.37 in mass communications-digital media; Dustin (Dusty) Hardin, a freshman with a 3.06 in HKR; Ryan Laws, a freshman with a 3.82 in exercise science; Steve Martinez, a freshman with a 3.29 in mass communications-digital media; and Kevin Perez, a sophomore with a 3.14 in HKR.

Besides Krcova, other members of the Lady Mulerider cross country team making the honor roll include Sarah Banman, a freshman with a 3.47 in HKR; Bailey Dulaney, a freshman with a 3.20 in exercise science; Jessica Gadlin, a freshman with a 3.41 in criminal justice; Kendall Mears, a junior with a 3.26 in exercise science; and Heather Rochelle, a freshman with a 3.93 in pre-dental hygiene.

Joining Fields, Norman, and Williams on the football honor roll are Joshua Bradley, a sophomore with a 3.16 in HKR; Kevin (Nick) Cannady, a freshman with a 3.29 in biological science; Michael Chatman, a sophomore with a 3.19 in criminal justice; Noe΄ Cuevas, a freshman with a 3.27 in pre-engineering; Jordan Dubois, a junior with a 3.60 in exercise science; Trentyn Earley, a freshman undecided major with a 3.31; Gerald Howard, a freshman undecided major with a 3.56; Zachery (Zach) Massingill, a freshman undecided major with a 3.62; Simeon Oston, a freshman with a 3.25 in middle school education; Cedrick Powell, a sophomore with a 3.27 in business administration-organizational management; and Scott Reynolds, a freshman with a 3.00 in business administration-finance.

Other members of the SAU volleyball team joining Daily and Spradlin on the honor roll include Sarah Bell, a junior with a 3.70 in exercise science; Emma Geyer, a freshman with a 3.47 in HKR; Kaci Matthews, a freshman with a 4.00 in business administration-organizational management; Mallory McKee, a junior with a 3.54 in criminal justice; Veronica Ogbeide, a junior with a 3.40 in exercise science; and Mary (Maggie) Ross, a freshman with a 3.26 in psychology.