(HAMPTON, VA) Twenty-two student-athletes from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association have been named to the 2008 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. Jillian Willey was named to the First Team while Tiffany Toney, DaMara Parrish and Janine Canlas were selected as Second Team members. Erin Gray, a member of the CIAA Softball Champions, was an Honorable Mention.

This year the team recognizes 22 student-athletes, 10 on the First and Second Teams while two were designated as Honorable Mentions. For the first time in its 11-year history, the team, which is voted on by the CIAA-Sports Information Director’s Association, shows an even balance- with both the First and Second team honorees averaging a 3.620 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

"It is gratifying to celebrate the accomplishments of this year's team. These student-athletes have truly realized the success that can be attained by finding the balance between their academic studies and athletic participation," commented Commissioner Leon Kerry.

Headlining the First Team is Christina Hager of Elizabeth City State as the only repeat Commissioner’s All-Academic First Team honoree from a year ago. Moving up from a spot on the Second Team and an Honorable Mention are Lakischa Fontenot of Saint Augustine’s and Johnson C. Smith’s Jennifer Lee, respectively. Fellow Golden Bull and tennis standout Jason Stuckey represents the only student-Athlete on the First Team boasting a perfect 4.0.

Rebecca Hubbard of Saint Augustine’s has been recognized for the third time in as many years and rounds out her collegiate career with her second consecutive nod for the Commissioner’s All-Academic Second Team. Also repeating as a Second Team honoree is Janine Canlas, a graduate student from Bowie State University.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must have completed one full academic year at a CIAA institution, earned a minimum 3.20 overall grade point average and excelled as a starter or significant reserve in a CIAA sanctioned sport.


2008 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team


FIRST TEAM
Name Sport School Year Hometown GPA Major
Brandon Byerson Basketball Virginia Union Soph. Colonial Heights, VA 3.6 Computer Science
Lakischa Fontenot % Track and Field St. Augustine’s Senior Sacramento, CA 3.6 Sociology
Christina Hager @ Volleyball, Basketball Elizabeth City St. Senior Angier, NC 3.7 Accounting
Jennifer Lee & Tennis Johnson C. Smith Senior Charlotte, NC 3.7 Sports Management
Joel “Chip” Lynn Golf Fayetteville State Soph. Sanford, NC 3.6 Nursing
Carlton Richardson Football Johnson C. Smith Junior Columbia, SC 3.5 Sports Management
Ken Samoei Cross Country, Track & Field St. Augustine’s Soph. Eldorst, Kenya 3.6 Engineering
Jason Stuckey Tennis Johnson C. Smith Soph. Cincinnati, OH 4.0 Business Admin.
Celeste Trahan Basketball Elizabeth City St. Senior Stockton, CA 3.3 Education
Jillian Willey Softball Bowie State Senior Millersville, MD 3.6 Early Childhood Education

SECOND TEAM
Jasmine Bethel Track and Field St. Augustine’s Soph. Roanoke, VA 3.8 Elementary Education
Janine Canlas % Bowling Bowie State Grad. Glendale, MD 3.6 Organiz. Communications
Tiffany Coggins Softball Virginia State Junior Petersburg, VA 3.4 Biology/Pre Med
Lisa Donatien Tennis Livingstone Senior Miami, FL 3.6 Computer Info. Systems
Rebecca Hubbard &% Basketball, Track & Field St. Augustine’s Senior Berlin, Germany 4.0 Psychology
Brittany Laws Tennis Johnson C. Smith Junior Rocky Mount, NC 3.9 English/Spanish
DaMara Parrish Track and Field Bowie State Senior Severn, MD 3.3 Communications
Charles Ramey Track and Field Virginia State Soph. Lynchburg, VA 3.4 Physics
Tiffany Toney Softball Bowie State Junior Abilene, TX 3.3 Broadcast Journalism
Merv Woodlin Baseball Virginia State Junior Philadelphia, PA 3.9 Sports Management

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff Gowdy, Football, Fayetteville State
Erin Gray, Bowie State, Softball

$ = 2006 First Team
@= 2007 First Team
%= 2007 Second Team
&= 2007 Honorable Mention


CIAA School Reference (Location)
Bowie State University (Bowie, MD)
Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, NC)
Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, NC)
Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, NC)
Livingstone College (Salisbury, NC)
Saint Augustine’s College (Raleigh, NC)
Saint Paul’s College (Lawrenceville, VA)
Shaw University (Raleigh, NC)
Virginia State University (Petersburg, VA)
Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA)