RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Titans' Phillips receives honors

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Chad Phillips of Westminster College is one of a select few as he's one of the top student athletes in the nation.
Phillips, a senior forward on the Westminster College men's basketball team, is one of just five players in the nation selected to the 2001 Verizon Academic All-America Basketball First Team.
The team was selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and represents the top non-NCAA Division I student-athletes in the nation.
Phillips, a 6-6 standout, is a graduate of Warren JFK High School in Warren.
Joining him on the first team are: Dave Januzzi of Wilkes (Pa.) University, Ryan Knuppel of Elmhurst (Ill.) College, Jeremy Kudera of the University of South Dakota, and Kyle Mas of Embry-Riddle (Fla.) University.
11th to be named: Phillips, a scoring machine, is just the 11th GTE/Verizon Academic All-American in Westminster College history and only the second in Titan men's basketball history. John Fontanella (1967) was the other.
Phillips' outstanding play this past season placed him near the top of the statistical leaders in CAA Division II category.
He ranks second in the nation in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game while ranking 15th in 3-point field goal percentage at 46.1 percent (47-of-102) and 24th in free throw percentage (133-of-155).
Phillips led the Presidents' Athletic Conference in both scoring and rebounding (8.8 rpg) while ranking in the PAC statistical Top 10 in eight of nine categories.
He propelled the Titans to a 19-6 overall final record this season with a 9-1 mark against PAC competition.
Phillips was equally successful in the classroom where he holds a 3.589 cumulative grade-point average majoring in economics.
None could be more proud of Phillips' accomplishments than Titans head coach, Jim Daflea.
"I think that Chad has responded to challenges, both on the basketball court and in the classroom, the way you would like all of your players to respond," Dafler said. "Both his talent and his work ethic are evident by his successes in both areas.
"We believe Westminster College is a place where student-athletes can reach their full potential, and Chad is living proof of that possibility."
Other honors: Prior to earning Academic All-America honors, Phillips was named to the Verizon All-District II College Divisions First Team on Feb. 22. The District II College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
To be nominated for the Verizon Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve.
Mat masters: Two Reynolds High School wrestling greets reached the pinnacle of the mat sport by claiming the gold medals in the recent IPA wrestling championships in Hershey.
Justin Nesoer (145) and teammate Jerry Kindall (103) claimed first place honors for the Raiders who claimed second place honors in the team scoring behind Brandywine Heights.
For Nestor, it was his third PIAA state title in four attempts, Kendall's first. In winning three state titles, he became only the fourth in Mercer County mat history to accomplish the feat.
The others were Farrell's George Lewis, Reynolds' Casey Taylor and Lakeview's Rod Wright.
Mercer County came within a gnat's eyelash of winning three state titles this season. Commodore Perry's Mike Chess, 275, dropped a bitterly fought 2-0 decision in the gold medal match.
Congratulations to all three young men on their valiant efforts not only in the finals but throughout the season.