Capital One Academic All-America® Men's and Women's At-Large Teams release dates: 
College Division Teams: Monday, June 4
Division III Teams: Tuesday, June 5
Division II Teams: Wednesday, June 6
Division I Teams: Thursday, June 7
• 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III At-Large Teams - M & W (PDF)
• 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III At-Large Teams - M & W (doc)
TOWSON, Md. – Senior wrestler Seth Ecker of Ithaca College and senior field hockey standout Celena Dopart of Worcester Polytechnic Institute lead the 2012 Capital One Academic 
All-America® Division III Men’s and Women’s At-Large Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Ecker and Dopart have been chosen as the winners of the NCAA Division III Academic All- America® of the Year awards for Men’s and Women’s At-Large, respectively.
The Capital One Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2011-12 D-III Academic All-America® teams program.
The Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling.
The Capital One Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large program includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo.
A business administration major with a 3.84 G.P.A., Ecker is a repeat selection as a first team Capital One Academic All-America® selection. A native of Pottstown, Pa., Ecker is also a back-to-back NCAA national champion at 133 pounds.
Ithaca’s first ever two-time national champion, Ecker is a three-time Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference All-Academic team member and a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete. Ecker is also a three-time NCAA All-American and the only two-time winner of the ECWC Wrestler of the Year honor and finished his career with a record of 108-20.
An aerospace engineering major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Dopart has earned Capital One Academic All-America® honors for third year in a row. She was a third team selection in 2010 and was named to the first team last year.
A native of Washington, D.C., Dopart scored a pair of goals and led the Engineers with seven assists this season. A three-time Academic All-New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference honoree, Dopart earned the WPI Varsity Club Award, given to WPI’s top female student-athlete, and is the school’s NCAA Woman of the Year nominee.
Capital One Academic All-America® Division III At-Large Men's Team
Ecker is one of two repeat selections on the Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Men’s At-Large first team and is one of two wrestlers on the squad.
On the Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Men’s At Large first team, there are three student-athletes with 4.00 G.P.A.’s. The 15 members of the first team have a 3.91 average G.P.A.
Senior Tony Valek of Augsburg is also a repeat selection. A native of Belle Plaine, Minn., Valek owns a 3.87 G.P.A. with a double-major in accounting and general management.
A three-time All-American, Valek compiled a 34-1 record this season and finished with a career mark of 136-25. Valek is a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier and finished as national runner-up as both a sophomore and junior. A three-time NWCA Scholar All-American, Valek also received the NCAA Elite 89 award. He is the second member of his family to earn Capital One Academic All-America® At-Large honors. His older brother, Ryan Valek, who was also a wrestler at Augsburg was a first team selection in 2006 and a third team honoree in 2005.
Overall, four wrestlers were named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Men’s At-Large first team recognition. Ecker's teammate at Ithaca, Jeremy Stierly and senior Sam Campbell of Washington and Lee were also named to the first team.
A graduate student with a 3.83 G.P.A. in the M.B.A. program at Ithaca, Stierly was the NCAA Division III champion at 149 pounds. A native of Pottstown, Pa., Stierly was the national runner-up at 141 pounds twice. Stierly finished the season with a 12-1 record, improving his career mark to 91-18.
Campbell, who has a double major in politics and English with a 3.98 G.P.A., produced a 25-8 record in 2012, tying the Washington and Lee record for wins in a season. He placed third in the 133-pound weight class at the 2012 Centennial Conference Championship Meet. A native of Winnetka, Ill., he finished his career with a 73-34 record, the second best mark in school history.
Swimming student-athletes dominated this year's group of the Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large first team honorees with five selections, including two products of perennial national power Kenyon. Senior David Somers and junior Curtis Ramsey represent the Kenyon Lords in the group, which includes Whitworth senior Rory Buck, Colorado senior Jordan DeGayner and Olivet senior Michael Harden.
A physics and classics major with a 3.71 G.P.A., Somers is one of 58 nationwide recipients of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. A native of North Potomac, Md., Somers was the 2012 North Coast Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete. A 10-time national relay champion and the 2011 individual champion in the 50-yard free style, Somers was a key member of the Lords' national championship teams in 2009 and 2010. As a senior, he was the 2012 NCAC Swimmer of the Year.
Ramsey, one of only two juniors on the first team, has a double major in physics and economics with a 3.92 G.P.A. A native of Wilmington, Del., Ramsey is a two-time national relay champion and placed third in the 100 freestyle and ninth in the 50 free in 2012. Ramsey was a member of Kenyon's champion and record-setting 200 freestyle relay at the NCAC Championship.
A double major in kinesiology and business management, Buck has a 3.81 G.P.A. A native of Dubai, Buck is a four-time NCAA Division III national champion, winning back-to-back titles in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as a junior and senior. He also owns school records in both events and was the 2011 NCAA Division III Men's Swimmer of the Year after breaking a long-standing national record in the 200. Earlier this year, Buck competed for a spot on South Africa's 2012 Olympic team.
A chemistry major with a 3.90 G.P.A., DeGayner is the first Colorado College swimmer to receive Academic All-America® honors. An All-American swimmer in 2012, DeGayner placed first in the NCAA 200-free, making him just the second Colorado College swimmer to win a national title. A native of Nokesville, Va., DeGayner was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year twice. He was also named SCAC Swimmer of the Meet for the second year in a row.
A 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® third team pick, Harden has a double major in environmental science and biology with a 3.96 G.P.A. A native of St. Johns, Mich., he competed in all five relays at the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championships and earned All-American honorable mention honors with a 15th-place finish in the 400 freestyle. Harden holds the second-best time in Olivet history in both the 50 freestyle (20.84) and 100 freestyle (46.59) and fourth-best time in the 100 butterfly (52.10). He is also part of four school record-setting relays.
Four tennis standouts are also part of the Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large Division III first team, including seniors Michael Capozzi of Manhattanville, Stephen Carella of Nichols, Alex Dombos of Kalamazoo and Conor Holton-Burke of Whitman.
Capozzi has a double major in finance and sociology with a 3.98 G.P.A. A native of Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Capozzi was the Freedom Conference Player of the Year three times. A second team Capital One Academic All-America® selection last year, he is a four-time first team all-conference honoree and leaves Manhattanville as the all-time leader in singles victories (64), doubles victories (61) and overall wins (125).
Carella has a double major in finance and accounting with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. A native of Rocky Hill, Conn., he was the valedictorian of the graduating class at Nichols. Carella was a three-year team captain and led Nichols to its first NCAA Championship Tournament appearance. Carella graduated with the program’s winningest records in doubles (51-29) and singles (48-30) action. He is also a six-time All-Commonwealth Coast Conference pick, a three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete and was the 2012 CCC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year.
A physics major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A., Dombos earned second team Capital One Academic All-America® honors last year. A native of Kalamazoo, Mich.. Dombos helped Kalamazoo win its 74th consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship. He is a two-time All-MIAA honoree and earned the league's Lawrence Green Award as the top student-athlete in men's tennis. Dombos finished his career with 62 singles victories.
A biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Holton-Burke led Whitman to its fifth straight Northwest Conference championship and its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. A native of Boulder, Col., Holton-Burke is a two-time first team All-NWC honoree and he was the 2011 NWC Player of the Year. Holton-Burke posted a 15-6 singles record this year and 17-8 mark in doubles.
Junior Pier-Olivier Cotnoir of Norwich and senior Mike Tota of SUNY-Cortland round out the Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Men’s At-Large first team.
A forward for the Cadets' ice hockey team, Cotnoir is a health science major with a 3.77 G.P.A. A native of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada Cotnoir was a first-team All-ECAC East honoree and an ECAC East all-academic honoree. Cotnoir was chosen by the New England Hockey Writer's Association as a Division II-III All-Star and received CCM Old Time Hockey All-American accolades. Cotnoir, the two-time Norwich MVP, scored a career high 21 goals and 42 points to lead Norwich to a 24-3-2 record in 2012. He also led Norwich to an unprecedented 14th straight ECAC East regular season title and a 10th ECAC tournament title. Norwich advanced to its 10th Division III Frozen Four.
A business economics major with a 4.09 G.P.A, Tota is the Elite 89 Award recipient for 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse. Tota led the Red Dragons to a 21-1 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III championship game. Cortland’s top scorer with 46 goals and 77 points, he was third on the team with 65 ground balls. A third-team United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-American, Tota finished his career with a school record 174 goals. He also scored 247 points in his career, second on Cortland’s all-time list.
Capital One Academic All-America® Division III At-Large Women's Team
Dopart is one of seven repeat selections on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Women’s At-Large first team. Senior swimmers Catie Baker of DePauw and Anne Culpepper of Emory join Dopart as repeat honorees on the first team. Senior tennis player Zahra Dawson of Emory was a second team selection last year. Senior Brittany DeAngelis of Muhlenberg’s field hockey team, junior Molly McShane of the field hockey team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and senior swimmer Alisa Vereshchagin of Kenyon were named to the third team last year.
Emory University dominated the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Women’s At-Large first team with three selections.
A computer science and mathematics double major with a 3.99 G.P.A., Baker was a first team Capital One Academic All- America® pick last year and a second team honoree in 2010. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she is a seven-time NCAA All-American in the 100-yard breaststroke, the 200- breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. A 10-time Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion and the 2011 SCAC Swimmer of the Meet, Baker holds two individual school records at DePauw and was recently named an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner.
Culpepper, an English and economics double major with a 3.85 G.P.A., is a repeat Capital One Academic All-American® College Division Women’s At-Large first team pick. A native of Warner Robins, Ga., she is a three-time national champion for Emory with 15 All-America awards in the 200-free, 500-free, 200-back and the 800-free relay. The school record-holder in the 200-back, Culpepper won an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and helped Emory win three NCAA Division III titles.
An applied mathematics major with a 3.79 G.P.A., Dawson was a Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Women’s At-Large second team honoree last year. A native of Fort Washington, Md., she was national runner-up in the NCAA Division III doubles championship for the second time in her career. A four-time All-American, she set the Emory record for doubles wins (105) and ranks second in program history with 86 singles wins.
A business administration and psychology double-major with a 4.00 G.P.A., DeAngelis was a Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Women’s At-Large third team selection last year. A native of Robbinsville, N.J., she graduated as a valedictorian of the Muhlenberg Class of 2012. A two-time All-Centennial Conference field hockey selection, DeAngelis led the CC and ranked second in the nation with a school record 12 defensive saves.
A mechanical engineering major with a 3.92 G.P.A., McShane was a member of the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Women’s At-Large third team last year. A native of Lake Bluff, Ill., McShane is the only three-time field hockey All-American in Massachusetts Institute of Technology history. A three-time first team All-NEWMAC selection, McShane scored the tying goal with 81 seconds remaining in the 2011 NEWMAC Championship, forcing overtime and leading the Engineers to their second title in three seasons.
A modern languages & literatures major with a 3.79 G.P.A., Vereshchagin was a member of the Capital One Academic All-America® third team last year. A native of Solon, Ohio, Vereshchagin won the NCAA Championship in the 100 breaststroke and helped three relay teams achieve top-three finishes for Kenyon. The North Coast Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year in 2012, Vereshchagin turned in All-American performances in a total of six events this season, bringing her career total to 19. She was the recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Senior Caitlyn Bowman of Juniata, senior Julie Fortier of Norwich, senior Jessica Fry of McDaniel, senior Kelsey Hassevoort of Kalamazoo, senior Sara Jane Otey of U.S. Coast Guard Academy, senior Julie Pinter of Baldwin-Wallace and junior Breanna Stillo of Carnegie Mellon are making their first appearance on the Capital One Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large Division III team.
Claire Pavlak, a senior swimmer at Emory, completes the contingent of three Emory products on the Capital One Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large first team.
A biology major with a 3.98 G.P.A., Bowman was the leading scorer for the field hockey team at Juniata as a senior. A native of Seven Valleys, Pa., Bowman led the team with six goals and two assists. She finished her career with 15 goals and eight assists.
A sports medicine major with a 3.63 G.P.A., Fortier was named as the winner of the 2012 Laura Hurd Award winner, presented to the NCAA Division III Ice Hockey National Player of the Year. Named as the New England Hockey Writer’s Association Division II-III Player of the Year, Fortier led the nation in scoring with 55 points on 31 goals and 24 assists. The ECAC Player of the Year, she also earned American Hockey Coaches Association All-American honors as she led the Cadets to a 27-3-1 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III championship game. She finished her career with 117 goals and 82 assists.
A classical civilizations and archaeology major with a 4.08 G.PA., Fry earned a pair of top five finishes for McDaniel at this year’s Centennial Conference Championship Swimming Meet. A native of St. Mary’s, Ga., Fry ranks second in program history in the 1,000-free and the 1,650-free. She is also third in the 500-free and 400 IM. Academically, Fry was earned the top prize at this year's Phi Alpha Theta Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference with her paper, "The Isthmus of Corinth and the Abortive Projects for Digging a Canal: Displays and Perceptions of Power".
A biology major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Hassevoort was a four-year tennis standout at Kalamazoo. A native of Kalamazoo, Mich., she was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in 2012. A two-time MIAA honoree, Hassevoort was 7-1 at No. 1 singles in conference play this season and posted a 6-2 mark at No. 1 doubles.
A marine & environmental science major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Otey led the U.S. Coast Guard Academy earn a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship. The winner of an NCAA Elite 89 Award, she also earned second team College Rowing Coaches Association All-American honors. A native of Littleton, Cal., Otey was four-time all-conference selection.
A communication disorders major with a 3.75 G.P.A., Pinter was a four-year diving standout at Baldwin-Wallace College. She earned her fifth and sixth career All-America awards this season. A native of Broadview Heights, Ohio, Pinter was national runner-up in the 1-meter dive and placed fourth on the 3-meter board at the 2012 NCAA Championship. A three-time pick as the Ohio Athletic Conference Diver of the Year, she was a six-time OAC champion.
A biomedical/chemical engineering major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Stillo won the University Athletic Association championship in the 100-breaststroke for Carnegie-Mellon. A native of West Caldwell, N.J., Stillo set a school record in the event and hit a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA championship. In her career, Stillo turned in 10 top three finishes at the University Athletic Association championship meet.
An anthropology major with a 3.70 G.P.A., Pavlak is the third student-athlete from Emory to earn a spot on the Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Women’s At-Large first team. A native of Rocky River, Ohio, Pavlak was a nine-time NCAA champion after winning titles in the 200-medley relay, the 200-free relay and the 400-free relay this season. Pavlak earned 20 All-America awards in her career, the second highest total in program history. She earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship after helping the Eagles win a third consecutive NCAA Division III championship.
The 15 members of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Women’s At-Large Team have an average G.P.A. of 3.90. Five of the members boast a G.P.A. of 4.00 or higher.
About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation (
www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., and ING Bank, fsb,
had $216.5 billion in deposits and $294.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of March 31, 2012. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One and ING Direct offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.
Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot team, Capital One Academic All-America Program, and supports all 89 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.
About the Capital One Academic All-America® Program
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.
For more information, contact:
Dan O’Connell
Towson University
Academic All-America® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
doconnell@towson.edu
(410) 704-3102
Nick Minerd
Case Western University
Academic All-America® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
Nicholas.minerd@case.edu
(216) 368-6517
Joe Wasiluk
Virginia Wesleyan University
Academic All-America® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
jwasiluk@wvc.edu
(757) 455-3393