FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2013
SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Three Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes have been named 2013 Capital One NCAA Division II Academic All-America, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) earlier this week.
The annual honor recognizes student-athletes that have excelled both on the court and in the classroom.
Two women were named Academic All-America in Bentley University junior Lauren Battista and Saint Michael's College senior Megan Olsen, while The College of Saint Rose junior Dominykas Milka was recognized on the men's side.
Battista earned First Team recognition after receiving Second-Team honors in 2012. Battista, the reigning Northeast-10 Player of the Year and a key member of the nation's No. 1 ranked team, is the program's first First-Team selection in more two decades (Kim Penwell in 1992).
Battista has a 3.92 grade point average as a double major in Marketing and Liberal Studies, and she is also a Finance minor. The North Easton, Mass. native is second on the Falcons in both scoring (14.0) and rebounding (6.7) this season.
Olsen was named to the Academic All-America Second Team, becoming just the ninth student-athlete in Saint Michael's school history to earn the honor.
A double major in economics and psychology, Olsen has qualified for the Northeast-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll as an academic standout seven times while being named Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference twice. Olsen carries a 3.98 GPA, which was good for third among the 15 Academic All-America selections. She is averaging 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Purple Knights this season, while leading the team with 65 steals.
Milka, who carries a 3.57 GPA as an Accounting major, was named to the Academic All-America Men's Second Team. Milka is currently averaging 17.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.04 blocks, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals for the Golden Knights. He is second in the nation in both rebounding and double-doubles (15).
To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, possess at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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