Elon’s Harris Named to FCS ADA All-Star Team
ELON, N.C. -- Sophomore running back A.J. Harris became just the sixth Elon player to be named to the FCS Athletics Directors Association (ADA) All-Star Team with his selection on Friday. Harris is the first Elon player to earn a spot on the team since 2006.
"The FCS ADA looks forward to honoring outstanding student-athletes each year, which culminates with the annual academic all-star team announcement," said FCS ADA President Peter Fields, chair of the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team Selection Committee and athletics director at Montana State University. "These football players represent the true meaning of the word student-athlete and we are proud of their accomplishments both in the classroom and on the field."
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.
Harris, who maintains a 3.30 GPA, was Elon's second-leading rusher, compiling 474 rushing yards and two scores on the ground on 109 carries. He also caught 28 balls for 268 yards and another score. Harris had the fourth-highest receiving total for the Phoenix in 2009.
With Harris' efforts, the Phoenix finished the 2009 campaign with a 9-3 overall record and earned its first-ever FCS playoff berth. Elon placed second in the Southern Conference with a 7-1 league record, its best SoCon finish ever.
Elon's All-Time FCS ADA All-Star Team Honorees
2002 - Brandon Mason (OL)
2002 - Josh Rowan (OL)
2003 - Brandon Mason (OL)
2004 - Brandon Mason (OL)
2006 - Wes Pope (QB)
2009 - A.J. Harris (RB)
Gilmore Named to FCS Academic All-Star Team
Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Football senior linebacker Jordon Gilmore was one of 55 winners of the 12th Annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team, announced Friday by the FCS ADA. There were 86 total nominees.
Gilmore, a Belmont, N.C. native, led the Bulldogs in tackles with 95 (49 solo, 46 assisted) and tied for sixth in the Southern Conference in total tackles for the 2009 season. He was named to the 2008 Fall SoCon All-Academic team, was a 2008 recipient of the Raytheon Scholarship, given by the Raytheon Corporation to an outstanding minority engineering student; a 2009 recipient of the Oren S. Herring Scholarship, given by The Citadel Engineering Department; and a 2009 recipient of the Society of American Military Engineers Scholarship, given to an engineering student in the Charleston area. The engineering major plans to graduate in May 2010 and attend graduate school to study biomedical engineering.
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions were eligible for the prestigious award. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position. Additionally, from the Academic All-Star team, six finalists were selected for the Ninth Annual FCS ADA's $5,000 postgraduate scholarship.
Smigelsky Named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football senior Steven Smigelsky was named one of 55 members of the 12th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team. The honorees were announced by the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) at the FCS championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
"The FCS ADA looks forward to honoring outstanding student-athletes each year, which culminates with the annual academic all-star team announcement," said FCS ADA President Peter Fields, chair of the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team Selection Committee and athletics director at Montana State University. "These football players that represent the true meaning of the word student-athlete and we are proud of their accomplishments both in the classroom and on the field."
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.
Smigelsky was a senior captain and starting linebacker for the Mocs during the 2009 season. He was third on the team with 77 tackles, playing all 11 games and starting 10. An Academic All-Southern Conference honoree, Smigelsky graduated with a 3.49 grade-point-average in Biology at the December Commencement.
Smigelsky played a huge role in the Mocs' biggest turnaround in school history, going from 1-11 in 2008 to 6-5 in 2009. UTC tied for fourth in SoCon standings, posting a 4-4 mark in league play.