(HAMPTON, VA) Twenty student-athletes from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association have been named to the 12th annual CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. Of those twenty, four Bowie State University student-athletes (
Kelley Alexander (Damascus, Md., Covenant Life, Montgomery College),
Tiffany Toney (Abilene, TX, Abilene Cooper, The University of Oklahoma ),
Itumeleng Shadreck (Bostwana Africa, East Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central) and
Daryl Sanders (Upper Marlboro, MD, DeMatha) were honorees.
"This year's group of student-athletes represents the CIAA by displaying incredible discipline in the classroom and in athletic competition. Part of our mission is to ready our student-athletes for the vigor of the real world. Their ability to juggle responsibilities from both fronts proves the quality of the CIAA experience," comments Commissioner Leon G. Kerry.
This year the 2009 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team recognizes 20 student-athletes, 10 on the First and Second Teams. Johnson C. Smith, Saint Augustine’s and Bowie State each placed four honorees amongst the First and Second teams. The First Team averaged an overall G.P.A of 3.8 while the Second Team boasts a 3.6 middling.
Johnson C. Smith dominates the 2009 First Team led by tennis standout Jason Stuckey. The Cincinnati, OH native is the only repeat First Teamer from 2008 and boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA (second straight year) as a Business Administration major. The Golden Bulls placed all four of their honorees on the First Team including All-American Ledford Green (4.0, Track and Field), Brittany Laws (3.92, Tennis) and national record holder Shermaine Williams (3.5, Track and Field). Moving up a spot to the First Team is Virginia State’s Merv Woodlin (3.9, baseball). He batted .286 for the CIAA Champions and was named VSU’s Male Student-Athlete of the year.
CIAA Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Tiffany Toney of Bowie State University headlines the Second Team for the second straight year. Toney, a senior Journalism major from Abilene, TX was named CIAA Player of the Year for the past three seasons all while leading the Lady Bulldogs to three consecutive CIAA Titles in as many years. The CIAA Golf Player of the Year, Joel “Chip” Lynn of Fayetteville State makes his second appearance on the Commissioner’s Team after helping to steer the Broncos to their 24th CIAA Golf Title in 2009.
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 have excelled as a starter or significant reserve in a CIAA sanctioned sport.
2009 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team
FIRST TEAM
Name Sport School Hometown GPA Major
Kelley Alexander Softball Bowie State Damascus, MD 3.82 Early Childhood Education
Braxton Byerson Basketball (Men) Virginia Union Colonial Heights, VA 3.71 Marketing
Ledford Green Track and Field Johnson C. Smith St. Catherine, Jamaica 4.0 Info. Systems/Engineering
Jason Stuckey $ Tennis (Men) Johnson C. Smith Cincinnati, OH 4.0 Business Administration
Clyde Fuller Baseball St. Augustine’s Pleasant Grove, NC 3.88 Computer Info. Systems
Merv Woodlin % Baseball Virginia State Philadelphia, PA 3.91 Sport Management
Brittany Laws % Tennis (Women) Johnson C. Smith Rocky Mount, NC 3.92 English Education
Allison Sikes Basketball (Women) St. Augustine’s Richmond, VA 3.70 Psychology
Shermaine Williams Track and Field (Women) Johnson C. Smith St. Andrews, Jamaica 3.50 Biology
Sheena Johns Track and Field (Women) St. Augustine’s Greenwood, DE 3.61 Computer Info. Systems
SECOND TEAM
Tiffany Toney % Softball Bowie State Abilene, TX 3.33 Broadcast Journalism
Billy Kellum Baseball Elizabeth City State Jacksonville, NC 3.67 Physical Education
Kystyan Fleming Tennis (Women) Elizabeth City State Edenton, NC 3.61 Criminal Justice
Ramon Gittens Track and Field (Men) St. Augustine’s St. Michael, Barbados 3.52 Accounting
Joel “Chip” Lynn $ Golf Fayetteville State Sanford, NC 3.45 Business Administration
Cassie Noe Volleyball Elizabeth City State Hertford, NC 3.60 General Studies
Itumeleng Shadreck Volleyball Bowie State Botswana, Africa 4.0 Education
C.J. Westler Football Chowan Marion, OH 3.51 Sports Science/Physical Education
Daryl Sanders Cross Country (Men) Bowie State Upper Marlboro, MD 3.81 Banking and Finance
Leon Willis Basketball (Men) Virginia State Prince George, MD 3.84 Criminal Justice
$ = 2008 First Team
%= 2008 Second Team
CIAA School Reference (Location)
Bowie State University (Bowie, MD)
Chowan University (Murfreesboro, NC)
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)