Sports News: Spring 2001

Tuesday, May 22, 2001

FOUR GREYHOUNDS EARN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT ACCOLADES

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Seniors Damon Rutherford (Reading/Exeter HS) and Courtney Rice (Nazareth/Nazareth Area HS) and juniors Heidi Wolfsberger (Moosic/Riverside HS) and Emily Shertzer (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin HS) have been named to the Verizon/CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District Spring At-Large Teams, announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  Rice and Wolfsberger were first team selections for the women while Rutherford was a first team honoree for the men and Shertzer and was a second team honoree.

Rice and Wolfsberger are now on the ballot for the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American Spring Women's At-Large Team, which is scheduled to be announced on Thursday, June 14th while Rutherford is eligible for the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American Spring Men's At-Large Team that will be announced on Tuesday, June 12th.  The Spring At-Large program represents athletes competing in golf, lacrosse, tennis, indoor/outdoor track & field, crew for women and volleyball and water polo for men.

College Division District II consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

To be nominated for the Verizon Academic All-American program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average and a starter or significant reserve on his or her team.

Moravian has had a total of 18 Academic All-Americans with 14 student-athletes earning the honor.  The Greyhounds have had 13 Academic All-Americans over the past eight years.

Rutherford, who was selected as the Moravian Blue & Grey Club Senior Male Scholar-Athlete, placed second in distance medley relay (10:46.33) and 11th in 1,500 meters (4:26.80) in 2001 Middle Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.  He also placed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the outdoor championships (9:44.19) and seventh in the 1,500 meters (4:09.01).  Rutherford was a four-year letterwinner in track & field with three conference championships - 4x800-meter relay in 1998 and distance medley relay in 1998 & 1999.  He placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in both 1999 & 2000.  Rutherford finished in the top five in seven of eight career events in the MAC Indoor Championships and four of eight in the MAC Outdoor Meet.  He is a nine-time MAC All-Academic Honoree.  Rutherford also competed in cross country for four years and the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional each year.

Rice helped the Greyhounds to a 12-2 record and the 2000 Middle Atlantic Conference Championship.  Moravian has won four of the last five MAC titles.  Rice posted a 2-1 record in singles action in 2000 and was 3-5 in doubles action.  She has a career doubles mark of 24-14.  This past spring, Rice won Fulbright Scholarship and will study in Germany next year.  She is the second women's tennis player in four years to win Fulbright Scholarship.  Rice was a member of the MAC All-Academic Team twice.

Wolfsberger led the Greyhounds to a 12th place finish in the 2001 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships with a National Championship in the 1,500 meters and has placed second in the nation twice in the same event.  Moravian won its sixth straight MAC Indoor Championship and its ninth consecutive MAC Outdoor Title this spring.  Wolfsberger is currently a six-time All-American, twice in cross country and four times in track & field.  Wolfsberger has won a total of 17 MAC Individual Championships (15 in track & field).  Wolfsberger, who was a 2000-01 Verizon Academic All-American for the fall/winter season, is a six-time member of the MAC Academic Honor Roll and is competing in two events at this weekend's NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships.

Shertzer won the 2001 MAC Indoor Championships in 5,000 meters (18:09.33 MAC record) and distance medley relay (12:47.3).  She is an automatic qualifier for 2001 NCAA Division III Nationals in 10,000 meters (36:59.66).  Shertzer has won 12 MAC individual titles in track & field.  She earned All-America status at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Nationals with seventh place finish in 10,000 meters and she was an All-American in 2000 for 26th place finish at Cross Country Nationals.  Shertzer is a three-time All-MAC cross country runner, a three-time NCAA Mideast All-Region cross country runner and a six-time MAC All-Academic honoree.