Toms' six Verizon Academic All-Americans ranks 10th

July 25, 2002
St. Thomas finished 10th nationally among all four-year colleges and universities in the number of Verizon Academic All-American honorees during the 2001-2002 school year.

St. Thomas student-athletes were honored with the elite award six times, tying a conference record for one season previously held by St. John's (1994-95) and Gustavus (2000-2001). St. Thomas has had 22 Verizon Academic All-Americans in the last 12 seasons, including 11 in the last three seasons.

St. Thomas' 2001-2002 group included three football honorees -- junior Jake Barkley, junior Andrew Hilliard and senior Andy Kaiser. Hilliard also was honored in track and field; senior Kristen Murray (swimming and diving) was honored on the women's at-large team; and senior Jacob Kraus (tennis) was honored on the men's at-large team.

Big 12 Conference power Nebraska led the nation with 15 Verizon recipients, followed by Stanford and Division III leader Emory with nine each. Only nine institutions had more honorees than St. Thomas.

Division I student-athletes were selected in the University Division, while Divisions II and III and NAIA student-athletes were selected in the College Division. Student-Athletes were honored in 12 sports for men and women -- football, volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track/CC, women's track/CC, men's at-large, women's at-large.

The Verizon Academic All-America award program recognizes academic and athletic excellence. To be eligible for nomination, a player must have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) and be at least a sophomore. Players are nominated for the award by their school's sports information director and selected by the voting members of the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA). This was the 50th anniversary of the first CoSIDA Academic All-America team.

Here's the list of NCAA and NAIA institutions that had five or more Verizon Academic All-America honorees in 2001-2002 (all are Division III members unless noted):

15
(Div. I) Nebraska

9
Emory (Ga.)
(I) Stanford (Div. I)

8
Nebraska Wesleyan
(I) Notre Dame
(II) Truman (Mo.) State
(II) Pittsburg (Kan.) State


7
(I) Alabama
(NAIA) Oklahoma City

6
St. Thomas
Kalamazoo (Mich.)
(I) Penn State
(I) Kentucky
(I) Seton Hall


5
Augustana (Ill.)
Gustavus
Massachusetts Institute of Tech.
Moravian (Pa.)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.)
UW-Stevens Point
Widener (Pa.)
(I) Arkansas
(I) Iowa
(I) Illinois State
(I) Saint Joseph's
(I) Kansas State
(I) Yale
(I) Georgia Tech
(I) Florida
(I) Oregon
(I) Dayton
(I) Ball State
(II) Ashland
(II) Indianapolis
(II) North Dakota