Thursday, January 10, 2002
BECKER, HEYDT AND SABALIAUSKAS NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS
BETHLEHEM, PA --- Senior defender Doug Becker (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood HS) and
senior midfielder Scott Heydt (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) have been named to the
2001 Verizon Academic All-District II College Division Men's Soccer Team selected by the
College Sports Information Directors of America while sophomore defender Nicole Sabaliauskas
(Butler, NJ/Butler HS) from the Moravian women's team was named to the 2001 Verizon
Academic All-District II College Division Women's Soccer Second Team.
By making the All-District First Team, Becker and Heydt are now forwarded
onto the national ballot to try for Verizon Academic All-American® accolades, which
will be announced on February 7th.
To be eligible for Verizon Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must maintain
at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter
or significant reserve. The College Division is made up of all the NCAA Division
II and III Schools in the nation as well as all NAIA schools. Student-athletes from
NCAA Division I schools are named to the University Division Teams. District II is
made up of schools from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and West Virginia.
This year marks the 50th year of the Academic All-America program, as the inaugural team
was announced on December 6, 1952. Since that time, more than 12,000 students have been
named Academic All-America team members at colleges and universities at all levels for
every recognized NCAA sport. The 22 members of the original team, which included football
players only, will be honored with a series of events throughout the current academic year.
The program's popularity resulted in a significant expansion for the current academic year,
as 816 student-athletes --- a 19 percent increase over the previous highest number -- will
be selected to 12 different Academic All-America teams during the 2001-02 academic season.
2001 is also the first year that CoSIDA and Verizon have selected an individual soccer
team. The sport had been part of the Fall/Winter At-Large program in the past.
Becker and Heydt helped the Moravian men's squad to a 13-6-2 record this
season, their first wining season since 1995, the Commonwealth Conference playoffs for
the second straight season, and they led the team to the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Mid-Atlantic Region semifinal match, the first time Moravian was in the ECAC Tournament
since 1990. Becker had one assist on the season and helped the Greyhound defense
post a 1.25 goals-against average. Heydt contributed three goals and three
assists for nine points and he finished his career with 11 goals and 11 assists for 33
points.
Sabaliauskas helped lead the Moravian women to an 11-7 record this season and the
Commonwealth Conference Semifinals for the second consecutive year. Sabaliauskas helped
the Greyhound defense post a 1.33 goals against average this season.
Becker and Heydt will now try to become the 21st and 22nd Verizon Academic
All-Americans in Moravian history and the 16th and 17th in the last nine years.
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