November 10, 2005

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Five Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) football student-athletes and three IIAC volleyball student-athletes were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Teams selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and announced on Thursday.

Cornell College offensive lineman Phil Bilderback (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap) and University of Dubuque linebacker Bruce Gaultney, Jr. (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores) were named to the Academic All-District VII Football First Team. Central College wide receiver Stephen Barnes (Oskaloosa, Iowa/Oskaloosa), Simpson College linebacker Chris Kern (Algona, Iowa/Algona) and Wartburg College wide receiver Kyle Duchman (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) were named to the Second Team.

Dubuque outside hitter/middle blocker Jodi Thomas (Durand, Ill./Durand) was an Academic All-District VII Volleyball First Team selection. Cornell outside hitter/defensive specialist Jessica Johnson (Maryland Heights, Mo./Pattonville) was named to the Second Team and Simpson middle hitter Jessica Martin (Toledo, Iowa/South Tama) was a Third Team selection.

Bilderback is a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major with a 3.99 grade point average. Gaultney is a senior environment science major with a 3.9852 GPA. Barnes is a senior biology major with a 3.95 GPA. Kern is a senior athletic training major with a 3.727 GPA. Duchman is a sophomore pre-medicine and biology major with a 4.0 GPA.

Thomas is a senior elementary education major with a 3.9263 GPA. Johnson is a senior mathematics major with a 4.0 GPA. Martin is a junior psychology major with a 3.683 GPA.

The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District football Team consisted of a 24-member First Team and a 26-member Second Team. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District volleyball Team consisted of a six-member First Team, a six-member Second Team and an eight-member Third Team.

Student-athletes named to the First Team move on to the national Academic All-America® ballot. ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® volleyball Team is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 30. ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® football Team is scheduled to be announced on Thursday, December 1.

To be eligible for selection to the Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing, be a starter or key reserve and possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

District VII College Division includes NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA schools in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

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