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Ten Patriot League Football Student-Athletes Selected CoSIDA Academic All-District
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Ten Patriot League football student-athletes were named Academic All-District Team members by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The League had three selections in District 1 and seven selections in District 2.
The Academic All-District teams are voted on by members of CoSIDA whose schools are in the region. District 1 includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. District 2 consists of schools from Washington, D.C., Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better and be a starter or key reserve.
Fordham junior offensive lineman Nick Zakelj (finance, 3.64 GPA), along with Holy Cross junior quarterback Connor Degenhardt (psychology, 3.55 GPA) and sophomore running Peter Oliver (chemistry/Spanish, 3.93 GPA) were selected to the NCAA DI District 1 team.
The NCAA District 2 squad included Bucknell sophomore defensive lineman Grayson Cherubino (undeclared, 3.72 GPA) and junior linebacker Rick Mottram (mechanical engineering, 4.00 GPA), Georgetown junior defensive back Cameron Deen (international business regional studies, 3.70 GPA) and junior Ahmad Wilson (finance, 3.53 GPA), Lafayette senior defensive lineman Ryan Barnett (mathematics/economics, 3.53 GPA), along with Lehigh sophomore wide receiver Austin Dambach (business, 3.93 GPA) and junior linebacker Pete Haffner (finance, 3.70 GPA).
Bucknell's Mottram and Cherubino Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 2
Mottram is now a two-time Academic All-District 2 Football Team member. A junior Mechanical Engineering major, Mottram boasts a perfect 4.0-grade point average. On the field, he has emerged as the quarterback of the Bison defense this season; the linebacker currently leads Bucknell with a career-high 79 tackles, 22 more than the next closest Bison. He also ranks second on the team in sacks (4) and third in tackles for a loss (7). Cherubino earned his first Academic All-District 2 Football Team nod. A sophomore who is enrolled in the Carroll School of Management, he has been a fixture on Bucknell's defensive line over the past two seasons. He leads the sophomore class with 15 career starts and has appeared in all 20 of the Bison's games during his time in Lewisburg to date.
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Fordham's Zakelj Named CoSIDA Academic All-District 1
Zakelj, a finance major with a 3.64 overall GPA, has started all 10 games at left tackle for the Rams this year. He blocks for an offense that is second in the Patriot League in rushing, gaining 143.9 yards/game, and second in scoring, averaging 24.2 points/game.
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Georgetown's Deen and Wilson Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 Team
Wilson is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. He is a finance major in the McDonough School of Business with a 3.70 GPA. He is third on the team with 47 tackles while also contributing 2.0 TFLs, one interception and three pass breakups. Deen, an international business regional studies major in the McDonough School of Business, is carrying a 3.70 GPA. He is fourth on the Hoyas with 39 tackles while posting 1.5 TFLs and 0.5 sacks.
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Holy Cross's Degenhardt and Oliver Named to CoSIDA All-District Team
Degenhardt has started all 10 games for the Crusaders at quarterback this season, completing 155 of 291 passes for 2,023 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the classroom, he carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.55 with a major in Psychology. Oliver has appeared in all 10 of Holy Cross' games at tailback this year, rushing the ball 92 times for 328 yards and three touchdowns. In the classroom, he owns a cumulative grade point average of 3.93 with a major in double major in Chemistry and Spanish.
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Lafayette's Barnett Secures Academic All-District 2 Honors
A defensive lineman, Barnett has started five games and has played in all 10 contests in 2019. He has 27 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards. He has also added four quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. He has played in 37 career games. He is maintaining a 3.53 GPA while majoring in mathematics and economics. After graduation, he will be working at Accenture Management as a management consulting analyst in financial services.
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Lehigh's Dambach and Haffner Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 Team
Dambach leads the Mountain Hawks with a 3.93 cumulative GPA and currently enrolled in Lehigh's College of Business. On the field, he has appeared in seven of nine games, with four starts. He has 21 receptions for 270 yards and a touchdown. Haffner is a finance major with a 3.70 GPA and a two-year member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He was also selected to the Academic All-Patriot League Team following the 2018 season. Lehigh's second-leading tackler, Haffner has started all nine games at linebacker, posting 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
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ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.