May 20, 2009

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently announced the spring honorees of the HCAC All-Academic awards for the 2008-09 school year. 15 Bluffton University athletes were recognized for their efforts in the classroom. Track and field led the way for the Beavers with five honorees: Sarah Binkley (Bluffton/Cory Rawson), Deb Davis (Seneca, Penn./Christian Like Academy), Kayla Pickering (Jamestown/Greenview), Brian Timpe (Wauseon/Pike-Delta-York) and Ben Siebert (Celina).

Curtis Schroeder (Shelby), Allen Slabaugh (Dalton), Cody McPherson (Northwood/Millbury Lake) and David Riddle (Milford) were the baseball players recognized by the HCAC. Men's tennis and softball both placed three players on the HCAC All-Academic team following the spring semester.

John Mark Stratford (Pandora/Pandora-Gilboa), Luke Roeschley (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) and Kendall Church (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Northrop) represented the men's tennis team, while Kellie Kenney (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist), Brooke Babcock (Findlay) and Torrie Wilson (Delphos/Jefferson) of the softball team rounded out the Bluffton contingent.

To be named All-Academic HCAC, a student-athlete must have completed a full year at the institution, be a varsity athlete and carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 through the semester preceding the end of the season. The women's basketball team was honored as Academic All-Heartland Conference after posting a GPA above 3.25 for the semester.

-BEAVERS-