YSU players earn MVFC honors

STAFF REPORT

sports@vindy.com

ST. LOUIS

Nineteen athletes, including two from Youngstown State, earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s highest academic achievement by capturing the President’s Council Academic Excellence Award.

The President’s Council Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.8 cumulative grade point average (through Fall 2009 semester), participation in athletics a minimum of two years, and be within 18 hours of graduation.

The honorees from YSU were Stephen Blose and Ben Nowicki.

Blose, a senior-to-be placekicker from Erie, Pa., is majoring in middle childhood education.

Nowicki, from Gilbert, Ariz., graduated with a degree in mathematics.

Also, 82 student-athletes received the league’s Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award. That requires a minimum grade point average of 3.5 for the previous two semesters, and a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade point average.

YSU’s recipients were Kyle Banna, Blose, Erik Johnson, Marc Kanetsky, Brian Mellott, Nowicki and Aaron Pitts.

The MVFC announced its 2009-10 Honor Roll, for student-athletes who recorded a minimum 3.2 grade point average for the Fall 2009 term. YSU’s honor roll recipients were Dan Banna, Kyle Banna, Theo Barnes, Blose, Jamaine Cook, Draye Ersery, Rob Fernback, Tyler Figueroa, Jaimie Frasure, Chris Gammon, Gannon Hulea, Johnson, Kanetsky, Andy Kowicki, D.J. Main, Luke Matelan, Mellott; Torrance Nicholson, Nowicki, Torrian Pace, Pitts, Justin Rechichar, Dom Rich, Eric Rodemoyer, Greg Sazdanoff, Nate Schkurko, Scott Sentner, Carson Sharbaugh, Kevin Smith; Brandon White and Lenny Wicks.