University of Massachusets Athletics
Seven Minutemen Named To CAA Academic All-Conference Team
February 09, 2009 | Football
Feb. 9, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - Seven UMass football players were named to the Academic All-Conference team this week by the sports information directors of the Colonial Athletic Association. The CAA honored four offensive players and three defensive athletes from the Minutemen squad.
On the offensive side, seniors Sean Calicchio (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Chris Cefalo (Basking Ridge, N.J.) were honored along with sophomores Peter Chiaro (South Huntington, N.Y.) and Aaron Fears (North Attleboro, Mass.). For the defense, senior Brett Arnold (Langhorne, Pa.) made the squad as well as juniors Jeromy Miles (Sicklerville, N.J.) and Anthony Rouzier (Amherst, Mass.).
Senior offensive lineman Ryan Canary from Maine was named the Student-Athlete of the Year. To be eligible for the CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team, a player must be a starter or important reserve and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00-or-better for his entire academic career.
Here is the official release from the CAA:
Maine senior offensive lineman Ryan Canary, the 2008 CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year, headlines a list of 107 CAA Football Academic All-Conference honorees for the 2008 season.
Canary, who maintains a 3.70 grade point average as a Secondary Education major, helped lead the Black Bears to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Point Pleasant, N.J., native was a 2008 First Team All-CAA Football selection and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from The Sports Network. Now a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree, Canary earned ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors during the 2008 season and was one 43 FCS student-athletes listed as semifinalist for the 2008 Draddy Trophy.
Canary finished his career at Maine having started each of his last 35 contests dating back to the 2006 season. The Black Bears' center helped Maine's offense finish among CAA Football's Top-4 rushing units in each of the last three years. Canary also anchored a rushing attack which paved the way for Jhamal Fluellen's 1,000-yard season in 2007 and freshman Jared Turcotte's march to a First Team All-Conference honor in 2008. The three-time Maine Scholar-Athlete honoree was part of the Black Bear Dean's list five times, earned a Presidential Achievement honor and was named the Sam Sezak Outstanding Offensive Lineman of Year for Maine twice during his time in Orono.
CAA Football cited 107 student-athletes - 57 on offense and 50 on defense - as members of its 2008 Academic All-Conference team.
To be eligible for the CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team, a player must be a starter or important reserve and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00-or-better (on a 4.00 scale) for his entire academic career. A transfer is not eligible unless he has completed one (1) full year at his institution. First-year freshmen are not eligible. Voting for the Student-Athlete of the Year honor is conducted by the 12 CAA Football Sports Information Directors.
Following is the 2008 CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team:2008 CAA FOOTBALL ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
OFFENSE School Pos. Cl. Hometown/High School Major Zack Reed Delaware TE/DS So. Huntington, Pa./Huntington Fitness Mg. Justin Rodriguez Delaware WR Fr.r Brockton, Mass./Sharon Business Mark Schenauer Delaware WR Fr.r Galloway, N.J./Absegami Finance Christian Dennis Hofstra WR Fr.r Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Allan D. Neese Undecided Jaren Harrell Hofstra OL So. Quartz Hill, Calif./Quartz Hill Psychology Brad Hilovsky Hofstra WR Fr.r Millsboro, Del./Sussex Central Broadcast Journalism Roland Massimino Hofstra OL Fr.r Lake Barrington, Ill./Barrington Management Anthony Nelson Hofstra WR So. Wellington, Fla./Glades Day Entrepreneurship Josh Weigel Hofstra OT Sr. Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South Public Relations Brett Ainsley James Madison OL So. Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch Kinesiology Ray Brown James Madison WR Jr. Clinton, Md./C.H. Flowers Health Science Chris Clarke James Madison OL Jr. Williamsburg, Va./Bruton Kinesiology Jason Dosh James Madison TE So. Glen Allen, Va./Benedictine Kinesiology Trae Kenney James Madison TE Jr. Richmond, Va./Hermitage Kinesiology Charlie Newman James Madison TE Jr. Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg Finance Dave Stannard James Madison PK Sr. Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill Finance Dixon Wright James Madison PK Fr.r Crossnore, N.C./Avery County Finance Michael Brusko Maine QB Jr. Zionsville, Pa./Emmaus Communications Ryan Canary Maine OL Sr. Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Secondary Education Jared Turcotte Maine FB Fr.r Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston Kinesiology & Physical Education Sean Calicchio Massachusetts OL Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y./Xavierian Sociology Chris Cefalo Massachusetts RB Sr. Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge Hotel Management Peter Chiaro Massachusetts RB So. South Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman Hotel Management Aaron Fears Massachusetts WR So. North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro Journalism Kevin Decker New Hampshire QB Fr.r Armonk, N.Y./The Brunswick School Undecided Chris Jeannnot New Hampshire TE Fr.r Moon Township/Moon Area Undecided Dan Larkin New Hampshire OL Jr. Rochelle Park, N.J./Bergen Catholic Business Administration Tom Manning New Hampshire PK Jr. Rome, N.Y./Rome Free Academy Business Administration Chris McClurg New Hampshire OL Sr. Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder Political Science Seth Price New Hampshire OL/TE So. Grove City, Ohio/Grove City Zoology Zach Abrams Northeastern LS Jr. Sharon, Mass./Xaverian Brothers Human Services Jay Bornstein Northeastern TE So. Norton, Mass./Bishop Feehan Pharmacy Kevin Newhall Northeastern OL Jr. Malden, Mass./Malden Criminal Justice Greg Niland Northeastern OL So. E. Bridgewater, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy Finance & Insurance Anthony Orio Northeastern QB Sr. Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional Applied Nutrition John Sperrazza Northeastern QB Sr. Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield Criminal Justice Fran Dempsey Rhode Island OL Sr. Hazelton, Pa./Hazelton Area Secondary Education D.J. Stefkovich Rhode Island QB Jr. Westport, Conn./Staples Finance Gregory Wicks Rhode Island QB So. Bedford, N.H./Tabor Academy Business Administration Tyler Kirchoff Richmond ST So. Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield Business Chris Kondorossy Richmond OL Jr. Belle Meade, N.J./Montgomery Interdisciplinary Studies Michael Silva Richmond OL Jr. Altamonte Springs, Fla./Bishop Moore Business Josh Vaughan Richmond TB Sr. Richmond, Va./Hermitage Urban Public Policy and Practice Mark Bencivengo Towson PK Sr. Hamilton, N.J./Steinert Exercise Science Casey Cegles Towson WR Jr. Ocean City, N.J./Eastern Business Administration Anthony Fair Towson TE Sr. Columbia, Md./Mount St. Joseph Mass Communication Dan Hurley Towson OG Fr.r Colonia, N.J./Bishop Ahr Political Science Angelo Babbaro Villanova RB So. Canfield, Ohio/Canfield Economics Izzy Bauta Villanova OL Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Business (MBA) Sean Morrissey Villanova LS Jr. Rockville, Md./Good Counsel Economics Michael Sheridan Villanova OL Sr. Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius Communications Will Thompson Villanova LS Jr. Glen Arm, Md./Loyola Blakefield Finance Chris Whitney Villanova QB So. Warminster, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep Accounting Brian Pate William and Mary PK Jr. Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax Finance Luke Hiteshew William and Mary OL Sr. Baltimore, Md./Mount St. Joseph Business (MBA) Eric O'Brien William and Mary OL Sr. Abbottstown, Pa./Delone Catholic Business (MBA) Thomas Schonder William and Mary RB So. Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley GovernmentDEFENSE School Pos. Cl. Hometown/High School Major Brian Brown Delaware LB Sr. Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek Sport Management Leo Ferrine Delaware CB Gr. Springfield, N.J./St. Peter's Prep Sport Management Andrew Harrison Delaware LB Fr.r Richmond, Va./Highland Springs Engineering John Higginson Delaware DE Jr. Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional Finance Erik Johnson Delaware LB Sr. Fairport, N.Y./Fairport Health & PE Stuart Kenworthy Delaware P Sr. Washington, D.C./St. Albans Elementary Education Ronald Talley Delaware DE Gr. Detroit, Mich./Renaissance Sport Management Scott von Duyke Delaware DL So. Newark, Del./Tatnall Finance/Mass Communications Nick Altomare Hofstra DB Sr. Fairfax, Va./Robinson Secondary Management Chris Betz Hofstra LB So. Chatham, N.J./Chatham Physical Education Luke Bonus Hofstra LB Jr. Medford Lakes, N.J./Shawnee Psychology Ronnie Cameron Hofstra DE Fr.r Westbury, N.Y./Holy Trinity Finance Bruce Demyer Hofstra DT Jr. Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington Accounting Keith Ferrara Hofstra DB Fr.r Glendale, N.Y./St. Francis Prep Undecided Said Gaida Hofstra LB So. Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield Management Kevin Smith Hofstra DE Sr. Miami, Fla./Coral Reef Sociology Scott Szelong Hofstra DE Jr. Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Exercise Specialist Shelton Johnson James Madison DE Sr. Norfolk, Va./Granby Kinesiology Jonas Rawlins James Madison LB Jr. Salem, Va./Salem Biology J.D. Skolnitsky James Madison DT Jr. Fairfax, Va./Fairfax Kinesiology Andy Smith James Madison P Fr.r Remington, Va./Liberty Physics Jonathan Calderon Maine DB Sr. Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic Kinesiology & Physical Education Derrick Harris Maine DB So. Bedford, Pa./Bedford Business Kash Kiefer Maine P Sr. Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport Biology Jonathan Pirruccello Maine DL Sr. Turner, Maine/Leavitt Biology Brett Arnold Massachusetts P Sr. Langhorne, Pa./Neshimany/Lackawanna JC Sociology Jeromy Miles Massachusetts S Jr. Sicklerville, N.J./Winslow/Navy Kinesiology Anthony Rouzier Massachusetts LB Jr. Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional Journalism Tom Bishop New Hampshire P/PK Sr. Newfield, N.Y./Newfield Theatre Maurice Duper New Hampshire DB Sr. Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville Political Science Devon Jackson New Hampshire LB So. Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown Business Administration Kyle Maroney New Hampshire DL Jr. Brockport, N.Y./Brockport Electrical Engineering Matt Parent New Hampshire LB Sr. Long Beach, Calif./St. Paul's Business Administration Mark Petercuskie New Hampshire LB Fr.r Holliston, Mass./Holliston Undecided David Akinniyi Northeastern LB So. Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin Supply Chain Management Ron Conway Northeastern P Jr. Norton, Mass./Bishop Feehan Communications Nate Thellen Northeastern DB So. Brockton, Mass./Brockton Criminal Justice Jason Vega Northeastern DL Jr. Brockton, Mass./Brockton Criminal Justice Chris Dellafave Rhode Island LB So. Emerson, N.J./St. Joseph's Regional Management Willie McGinnis Rhode Island DT Fr.r Norwich, N.Y./Bainbridge-Guilford Communication Studies Brandon Williams Rhode Island DL So. Bristol, R.I./Fitchburg State Kinesiology David Horton Richmond DB Jr. Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic Business Patrick Weldon Richmond LB So. New Albany, Ohio/New Albany Accounting Donte Blakey Towson LB So. Lebanon, Pa./Milton Hershey Computer Science Jeremy Gardner Towson DB So. Spotsylvania, Va./Courtland Business Administration Ben Hunolt Towson DT Fr.r Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge Undeclared Yaky Ibia Towson DT So. Reston, Va./South Lakes Sports Studies Armen Melikian Towson DT Fr.r Durham, N.C./Charles Jordan Business Administration Osayi Osunde Villanova LB Jr. Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia Psychology Sheldon Alexander William and Mary DB Jr. Gordonsville, Va./Woodberry Forest Finance
