2005 CIAA Commissioner's All-Academic Team Announced

May 13, 2005

“We honor these CIAA student-athletes who excelled in both areas of their collegiate experience; athletics and academics,” said CIAA Commissioner Leon G. Kerry. “Their ability to successfully balance both pursuits will certainly pave the way for excellence in future endeavors. This dedication to distinction will surely prepare them to meet the challenges that await them upon graduation.”

The 2005 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team recognizes 20 student-athletes, 10 on the First Team and 10 on the Second Team, as voted on by the CIAA-Sports Information Directors’ Association. The average grade point average of the First Team is a 3.743, and the average for the Second Team is a 3.733 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

The 2005 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic First Team consists of Melissa Davis of Fayetteville State; Kareem Nembhard of Livingstone; Clarisse Steans and Steve Wright of North Carolina Central; Tanisha Hall and Daniel Sabogal of Shaw; Andra Colbert of Virginia State; Luqman Jaaber of Virginia Union; and Darnell Gregory and Chad Oakley of Winston-Salem State.

The 2005 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Second Team includes Ricci Alleyne of Bowie State; Joseph Estevez and Tiffanni Turrentine of North Carolina Central; Dana Atkins, Jennifer Fisher-Sterling and Santisha Martin of Saint Augustine’s; Ffion Fletcher and Monique Lawson of Shaw; and Shannon Davis and Janet Wheeler of Winston-Salem State.

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 played as a starter or important reserve in a CIAA sanctioned sport.

FIRST TEAM

Name	Sport	School	Year	Hometown	GPA	Major
Andra Colbert	Volleyball	VSU	Senior	Capital Heights, MD	3.602	Physics
Melissa Davis @	Bowling	FSU	Grad.	Charleston, WV	3.667	Sociology
Darnell Gregory @	Basketball	WSSU	Junior	Fayetteville, NC	3.618	Molecular Biology
Tanisha Hall	Tennis	SU	Junior	Montego Bay, Jam.	4.00	Business Administration
Luqman Jaaber @#	Basketball	VUU	Senior	Richmond, VA	3.35	Computer Science
Kareem Nembhard $%	Cross Country/Track	LC	Senior	Elizabeth City, NC	3.83	Accounting
Chad Oakley @	Football	WSSU	Junior	Haw River, NC	3.880	Sport Management
Daniel Sabogal	Tennis	SU	Soph.	Cali, Columbia	4.00	Business Administration
Clarisse Steans	Softball	NCCU	Soph.	Macon, GA	3.679	Physics
Steve Wright @	Golf	NCCU	Senior	Durham, NC	3.800	Elementary Education

SECOND TEAM

Ricci Alleyne	Track & Field	BSU	Soph.	Mitchellville, MD	3.80	Business Info. Systems
Dana Atkins	Volleyball, Basketball, Softball	SAC	Senior	New Orleans, LA	3.51	Human Performance
Shannon Davis $	Softball/Bowling	WSSU	Senior	Detroit, MI	3.736	Sport Management
Joseph Estevez	Cross Country/Track	NCCU	Soph.	Raleigh, NC	3.563	Physics
Jennifer Fisher-Sterling	Cross Country/Tennis	SAC	Senior	Bermuda	3.8	Human Performance
Ffion Fletcher	Tennis	SU	Junior	Montego Bay, Jam.	4.00	Computer Info. Systems
Monique Lawson	Tennis	SU	Soph.	Montego Bay, Jam.	3.90	Computer Info. Systems
Santisha Martin $#	Cross Country/Track & Field	SAC	Senior	Nassau, Bahamas	3.8	Accounting
Tiffanni Turrentine	Volleyball/Track & Field	NCCU	Soph.	Durham, NC	3.490	Biology
Janet Wheeler	Tennis	WSSU	Senior	Winston-Salem, NC	3.727	Sport Management

HONORABLE MENTION
Bobby Bienaimee (JCSU), Valicia Brown (SAC), Carlos Gutierrez (ECSU), Jermaine LaFate (VSU), Courtney Walls (BSU).

$ = 2004 First Team
@ = 2004 Second Team
# = 2003 First Team
% = 2003 Second Team

CIAA School Reference:

BSU = Bowie State University ECSU = Elizabeth City State University FSU = Fayetteville State University JCSU = Johnson C. Smith University LC = Livingstone College NCCU = North Carolina Central University

SAC = Saint Augustine’s College S PC = Saint Paul’s College SU = Shaw University VSU = Virginia State University VUU = Virginia Union University WSSU = Winston-Salem State University

2005 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team - HONOREES

RICCI ALLEYNE Women’s Track & Field BSU Sophomore 3.80 Business Information Systems & Accounting

CIAA Outdoor Champions (4x400), NCAA Qualifier 400 Meter Dash and 4x400 Meter, All-Conference Indoor (60 meter hurdles, 400 Meter Dash and 4x400 … Outdoor Team MVP, 400 Meter School Record Holder, All-CIAA (100 Meter Hurdles, 400 Meter Hurdles, 400 Meter Dash and CIAA Champion 4x400. Dean’s List.

DANA ATKINS Women’s Volleyball, Softball, Basketball SAC Senior 3.51 Human Performance & Wellness

Team Record: 17-6 (VB); 6-16 (SB); 15-14 (BB) … Games Played/Started: Played and Started in all games … Positions: Outside Hitter, First Base, Forward … Volleyball Statistics: 47 kills, 9 assists, 30 service aces, 58 digs, 30 total blocks … Basketball Statistics: 12.1 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game … Softball Statistics: .570 batting average, 27 hits, 52 at-bats, 30 RBI, 21 runs scored, 15 doubles, 18 stolen bases. Named to the 2004 CIAA Volleyball All-Rookie Team, 3-Time All-CIAA Softball Team (2003, 2004, 2005), CIAA Softball All-Rookie Team (2002) … Named CIAA Player of the Week in Basketball (January 8, 2005). Member of the CIAA Community Works Team, Who’s Who Among American College sand Universities, Dean’s List, Honors List, Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc.

BOBBY BIENAIMEE Men’s Basketball JCSU Junior 3.7037 Computer Engineering

Team Record: 16-13 … Games Played/Started: 23/11 … Started in 11 of 23 games played this season…averaged 2.3 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game. Highest GPA among all men’s basketball players. Also participates in cross-country.

VALICIA BROWN Women’s Basketball SAC Sophomore 3.7 Mass Communication

Team Record: 15-14 … Games Played/Started: 29/25 … Guard … Statistics: 482 points (16.6 ppg), 217 rebounds (7.5 rpg), 65 steals … 2004-05 All-CIAA Team … 2003-04 CIAA All-Rookie Team. Saint Augustine's College Association of Black Journalist … National Association of Black Journalist … Sigma Tau Delta National English Honors Society … Presidential Scholar … Dean’s List … Honors List.

ANDRA COLBERT Volleyball VSU Senior 3.602 Physics

Team Record: 20-8 … Games Played: 100 … Statistics: 199 kills, 603 attacks (.134 %), 33 service aces, 49 total blocks, 200 digs … third on the team for total blocks (49) … voted Second Team All-CIAA … Member of the 3.0 Club.

MELISSA DAVIS Bowling FSU Graduate 3.667 Sociology

Team Record: 64-11 … Games Played: All … Member of Bowling team that represented CIAA in the NCAA Elite Bowling Tournament…Member of team that won Western Division Title. Graduate with double major and graduate with honors both majors, Summa Cum Laude (Sociology & Criminal Justice)…FSU Woman of the Year, 2004…Sheriff’s Dept Outstanding Service Award, 2004…Criminal Justice Leadership Award, 2003….National Honor Society, 2004…Social Science Dept Student of the Year…Vice President Zeta Phi Beta Sorority…Vice President Criminal Justice Club…Vice President, Student Advisory Council…Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society…Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Award, 2004, 2005…CIAA Academic Honor Roll…CIAA Commissioner’s All – Academic Team, 2004…Dean’s List every semester…FSU Academic Excellence Award for Student-Athlete with highest Cumulative Grade Point Average…USAA All-American Scholar…Phi Et Sigma Honor Society…Secretary Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, 2002…Vice President Criminal Justice Club…Chancellor’s List…North Carolina Consortium for International and Inter-Cultural Education Award…Criminal Justice Award for the Most Outstanding Student…Member of National Pan Hellenic Council…Gamma Upsilon Zeta Chapter Scholastic and Community Service Award…Historian, Alpha Kappa Mu. Minor in Tracking in Criminology.

SHANNON DAVIS Softball/Bowling WSSU Senior 3.736 Sport Management

Team Record: 12-22 (SB) … Games Played/Started: 34/34 (SB) … Catcher/Pitcher (SB) … Appeared in, and started, all 34 games for the Lady Rams, both in a pitching and catching role…Batted .247 on the season with 21 hits and 28 RBI’s…Posted a 9-14 record for the Lady Rams with an 11.88 ERA…Recorded 23 complete games in 30 appearances, recording 156.0 innings of work. Vice President of the SAAC at WSSU…Three-Time All-CIAA softball player and one-time All-CIAA Bowler…A member of the 2004 Lady Rams' bowling team that competed for an NCAA National Championship in 2003-04 as she placed third on the team in average and pinfall on the season...Had a team-high 155 put outs with 19 assists and 14 errors, 9 of them passed balls, for a fielding percentage of .926...Named as the WSSU Softball Co-MVP, an honor she shared with teammate LaKelsha Carney...25th in the CIAA in batting average with a .375...2nd in the CIAA with three sacrifice flies...3rd in the CIAA in put-outs with 135...Named to the CIAA Commissioner's All-Academic First-Team…Was named the 2005 WSSU Female Athlete of the Year…A cancer survivor, she is an inspiration to all.

JOSEPH ESTEVEZ Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field NCCU Sophomore 3.563 Physics

Team won CIAA Cross Country Championship and placed third during CIAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships … Distance Runner … Earned All-Region honors by placing 17th at the 2004 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Cross Country Championship. Earned All-Conference honors by placing 7th at the 2004 CIAA Cross Country Championships, helping his team to the school’s first-ever cross country conference championship. Placed 12th at the Great American Cross Country Festival (Oct. 2, 2004). Placed 8th in the mile run and 9th in the 3,000m run at the Christopher Newport “Lid-Lifter” Indoor Track & Field Invitational (Dec. 4, 2004). Winner of the 2004-05 NCCU Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Academic Awards. University Eagle Scholar.

JENNIFER FISHER-STERLING Cross Country/Tennis SAC Senior 3.8 Human Performance & Wellness

Member of the 2004 CIAA Champions in Cross Country … Ran 2nd in the 2004 CIAA Cross Country Championships … Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities … Dean’s List, 2002-2004 … 2005 Physical Education Honors Award … Member of two CIAA Cross Country Team Champions, 2003 & 2004 … All-CIAA Cross Country Performer, 2003 & 2004 … Highest G.P.A. and Most Valuable Player Athletic Award in Cross Country, 2005.

FFION FLETCHER Women’s Tennis SU Junior 4.00 Computer Information Systems

Team Record: 18-2 … Matches Played/Started: 20/20 … 2005 No. 1 Singles Champion … Voted 2005 CIAA Player of the Year and CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Named to Shaw’s Athletic Academic All-Stars … Named to Shaw’s President’s List.

DARNELL GREGORY Men’s Basketball WSSU Junior 3.618 Molecular Biology

Team Record: 22-8 … Games Played/Started: 29/29 … Guard … Appeared in, and started, 29 of 30 games for the Rams, helping to lead WSSU to a 22-8 overall record, a CIAA Western Division title, and an NCAA Tournament berth…Averaged 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 2004-05…Shot 51.9% from the floor and 73.7% from the free-throw line this past season and was named CIAA Player of the Week once. A molecular biology major who has already received early acceptance from UNC-Chapel Hill dental school, Gregory will finish his studies at WSSU and continue on his path to becoming a dentist…A member of the SAAC at WSSU where he serves as Vice-President…A two-year starter for the Rams, he is an active member in the local community as he not only serves on the SAAC, he also volunteers regularly at the local Big Brother’s Big Sister of Western North Carolina…His father is in active duty in Iraq as he is the child of a military family. Minor in Chemistry.

CARLOS GUTIERREZ Baseball ECSU Junior 3.480 Physical Education

Team Record: 19-21 overall (CIAA Champions) … Games Played/Started: 37/36 … 2005 CIAA rankings: Tied for 1st in home runs, 1st in total bases, 4th in walks, 4th in runs scored. Named Co-MVP for the 2005 season in which the Vikings won their first ever CIAA Baseball Championship. 2005 CIAA Baseball Player of the Year. Member of the 2005 All-CIAA Baseball Team. Named to 2005 CIAA Baseball All-Tournament Team. In 2004: Led the CIAA in home runs with 8; Named to the 2004 CIAA Baseball All-Tournament Team. Led team in batting average with a .442. Received the Elizabeth City State University Academic Award for the 2004-2005.

TANISHA HALL Women’s Tennis SU Junior 4.00 Business Administration

Team Record: 18-2 … Matches Played/Started: 20/20 … 2005 No. 3 Singles CIAA Champion … Voted 2005 All-CIAA. Named to Shaw’s Athletic Academic All-Stars … Named to Shaw’s President’s List.

LUQMAN JAABER Men’s Basketball VUU Senior 3.35 Computer Science

Team Record: 30-4 (CIAA and NCAA Champions) … Games Played/Started: 34/34 … Guard … Led nation in free throw percentage (89.9%) … Ranked 8th in the nation in steals … Captained VUU to its third national championship … Voted All-CIAA, All-Elite Eight Tournament, All-South Atlantic Regional Tournament, Daktronics All-South Region, CIAA All-Tournament. CIAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2004 … As a junior in 2003-04, voted All-CIAA, CIAA All-Tournament, and led the nation in steals.

JERMAINE LaFATE Football VSU Junior 3.808 Mass Communication

Team Record: 6-4 … Games Played/Started: 10/10 … Offensive Lineman … Team Statistics: 136 first downs, 2,771 total offensive yards, 1,232 rushing yards, 1,539 passing yards, 277.1 total offensive yards per game. Member of the 3.0 Club.

MONIQUE LAWSON Women’s Tennis SU Sophomore 3.90 Computer Information Systems

Team Record: 18-2 … Matches Played/Started: 20/20 … 2005 No. 4 Singles CIAA Runner-Up … Named to Shaw’s Athletic Academic All-Stars … Named to Shaw’s President’s List.

SANTISHA MARTIN Cross Country, Track & Field SAC Senior 3.8 Accounting

Member of the 2004 CIAA Champions in Cross Country and 2005 CIAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Champions. National Association of Black Accountants … Phi Beta Lambda … Vice President of Delta Mu Delta … Student Athletic Advisor Committee … 2003 & 2004 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic First Team … Member of the CIAA Cross Country that has won two CIAA Championships, 2002, 2004 … Member of the Indoor Track that has won four Titles 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 … Member of the Outdoor Track that has won four CIAA Titles 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 … 2005 Coaches Award Cross Country … All-CIAA Cross Country.

KAREEM NEMBHARD Cross Country/Track & Field LC Senior 3.83 Accounting

Team placed 4th at 2005 CIAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships … Distance Runner (800m, 1500m, 5000m) … Finished 14th at the CIAA Cross Country Championship … 4th in 5000m Indoor … 8th in the Mile Indoor … on the 3rd place Distance Medley … 8th in 1500m Outdoor … 4th in 800m Outdoor … and 7th in 5000m Outdoor.

CHAD OAKLEY Football WSSU Junior 3.880 Sport Management/Business

Team Record: 4-6 … Games Played/Started: 10/10 … Place Kicker/Punter … Appeared in, and started, all 10 games for the Rams, both in a place-kicking and punting role…Recorded 52 punts on the season for 1876 yards with an average of 36.1 yards per kick…Recorded a long kick of 67 yards…Tallied four touchbacks, and six fair catches…Pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 15 times and had only one kick blocked. A double major at WSSU, Oakley is a star on the field and in the classroom…A two-time First-Team All-CIAA punter, he is a three-year starter for the Rams and was named to the All-CIAA team and All-Rookie team his freshman season…A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee…His brother, former Ram kicker Ashton Oakley was also a two-time All-CIAA kicker marking the first time in CIAA history that two brothers from the same school were named to the All-CIAA at the same time as the two shared kicking duties.

DANIEL SABOGAL Men’s Tennis SU Sophomore 4.00 Business Administration

Team Record: 18-4 (CIAA Champions) … Matches Played/Started: 22/22 … 2005 No. 3 Singles CIAA Champion … Voted 2005 All-CIAA … Bears won 2005 CIAA Men’s Tennis Championship. Named to Shaw’s Athletic Academic All-Stars … Named to Shaw’s President’s List.

CLARISSE STEANS Softball NCCU Sophomore 3.679 Physics

Team Record: 26-18 overall, 21-1 CIAA … Games Played/Started: 44/44 … Pitcher … Voted 2005 CIAA Softball Player of the Year, 2005 All-CIAA First Team, 2005 CIAA All-Tournament Team. Four-time CIAA Pitcher of the Week. Topped CIAA with 26 wins and 194 strikeouts (both single-season school records). Threw every pitch in 266 innings this season, leading the Lady Eagles to the CIAA Western Division Championship (first since 1998). Threw second career no-hitter at Livingstone College (April 17, 2005). In just her sophomore season, broke the school records for career victories (41) and career strikeouts (342). Presented with the 2005 LeRoy T. Walker Medallion of Honor as the NCCU Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Team is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Region. Voted 2004 CIAA Rookie of the Year and CIAA All-Tournament Team. Recipient of the 2005 NCCU Softball Academic Award. Honor Roll, Spring and Fall 2004. Chancellor’s Scholar. Recognized as a 2005 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar. Member of the NCCU Honors Program. Vice President of NCCU Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Business Diversity Chairman of the National Society of Black Engineers (NCCU Chapter). Tutor of Math and Verbal Skills, 2004. Conducted experiments in the National Center for Photovoltaics as a Summer Intern (2004 & again in 2005) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. As a “Dual-Degree Major,” is on track to receive undergraduate degree in Physics from NCCU in 3 years, then go on to either Duke or Georgia Tech to receive an undergraduate degree in Engineering in 2 years – earning two degrees in 5 years.

TIFFANNI TURRENTINE Volleyball/Track & Field NCCU Sophomore 3.490 Biology

Team Record: 24-14 (CIAA Volleyball Champions); 3rd Indoor, 3rd Outdoor (TF) … Games Played: 108 … Middle Hitter (VB); Long Jump (TF) … Played 108 games in 36 matches … Collected 134 kills (1.24 kills/game) and 60 blocks (0.56 blocks/game) … Team won the CIAA Championship, the CIAA Western Division Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Playoffs for the first time in school history. Recipient of the 2005 NCCU Women’s Volleyball Academic Award. Honor Roll, Spring and Fall 2004. Recognized as a Glaxo Scholar.

COURTNEY WALLS Softball BSU Senior 3.97 Social Work

Team Record: 13-17 overall; 11-9 CIAA … Games Played/Started: 30/30 … Batted .219 on the season, had 16 hits and scored 16 runs, knocked in 13 RBI’s and stole 4 of 5 bases. Dean’s List every semester.

JANET WHEELER Women’s Tennis WSSU Senior 3.727 Sport Management

Team Record: 11-7 … Matches Played: 18 … Played at No. 6 Singles. Appeared in, and started all 18 regular-season matches for the Lady Rams, helping to lead WSSU to an 11-7 overall record…Posted a 10-3 record at sixth singles during the 2005 season and paired with Ashley Hopper to record a 10-7 record at second doubles. A two-year starter for the Lady Rams at sixth singles, Wheeler is a non-traditional student at WSSU as she is the oldest active student-athlete at WSSU by more than 15 years over her teammates and colleagues…A Sport Management major at WSSU she has recently completed a 6-month internship in the WSSU Athletic Department as she wants to become a college athletic administrator. Minor in Business.

STEVE WRIGHT Golf NCCU Senior 3.800 Elementary Education

Team Record: 2nd CIAA Championship … Events Played/Started: 6/6 out of 6 … Team’s No. 3 golfer with an average score of 83.1 in nine rounds of play. Shot back-to-back season low-rounds of 79 during the CIAA Championships (April 21-22). Member of the ‘A’ Honor Roll in Fall 2004. Voted to the 2004 CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team (Second Team). Team’s No. 1 golfer in 2004 with an average score of 79.0, including a season-low round of 75. Team placed second at the 2004 CIAA Men’s Golf Championship. Two-time Team Most Valuable Player at NCCU. Selected as the 2003 CIAA Men’s Golf Rookie of the Year.