Thursday, June 4, 2009

MORAVIAN’S NATHANIEL TUSSEY NAMED TO ESPN The MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Graduate student Nathaniel Tussey (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) of the Moravian College men’s outdoor track & field team has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country First Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

By making the All-District First Team, Tussey is now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American® accolades, which will be announced on Thursday, June 18th.

To be eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student 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.

Tussey, who graduated in 2008 with a 3.49 GPA and a degree in Biology and returned to the school this year as a graduate student maintaining a 3.93 GPS while working towards his MBA, was named the Male Most Outstanding Performer at the 2009 ECAC Division III Outdoor Championships after winning both the 110-meter high hurdle and 400-meter hurdle events and leading the Greyhounds to their second straight ECAC team title.  Tussey finished ninth in both events at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships, and he won both races at the Landmark Conference Championships as Moravian won its second consecutive team title.

Tussey, who was using a medical redshirt to compete in 2009 after missing the outdoor season as a freshman in 2005, earned All-American honors three times in his career, finishing fifth in both events at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, and eighth in the 55-meter hurdles at the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.  Tussey won eight individual and one relay conference title during his career and was a seven-time member of the conference academic honor roll.

Tussey will try to become the 34th ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in Moravian history and the 29th in the last 16 years.