Wingate’s Brezovec, Presbyterian’s Rincon named DII Conference Commissioner’s Association regional winners for Scholar-Athlete Award

ROCK HILL, SC - South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award winners Rebecca Brezovec and Hector Rincon have been selected among the sixteen regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, it was announced today.

Brezovec, a senior volleyball player from Wingate University and Rincon, a former men's tennis player from Presbyterian College will now advance to the national ballot. A male and female Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be selected from the 16 regional winners, eight men and eight women. The national award winners will be announced in early September.

This award, sponsored by Disney's Wide World of Sports, provides the opportunity for Division II to highlight the extraordinary achievements of its student-athletes. DII CCA President and Commissioner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Jim Naumovich explains that the award showcases the talent at the NCAA Division II level. "Division II has the best of both worlds," adds Naumovich, "great athletes and great students."

The commissioners from the regions that comprise the Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners. To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 career cumulative grade point average and possess outstanding athletic credentials.

"Disney's Wide World of Sports fully supports the educational and personal development of athletes of all ages, which is why we are so proud to be associated with this award," said Fred Schoeler, Sports Account Manager for Disney Sports Attractions. "As host of the Division II Men's and Women's Tip Off Classic basketball tournaments, we are uniquely aware of the tremendous work, dedication and passion that these athletes demonstrate throughout the year and it is our honor to help recognize them for their extraordinary achievements in sports and in the classroom."

The eight women's regional winners include: Rebecca Brezovec (Wingate); Lindsey Dietz (Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth); Kristin Anderson (Central Missouri State); Amanda Newton (Drury); Katrina Holmberg (California State Polytechnic, Pomona); Alyse Hasty (Delta State); Jenny Mongeau (Assumption); and Brenna Clark (Pfeiffer);

Men's regional winners are: Hector Rincon (Presbyterian); Ryan Koch (St. Cloud State); Josh Lamberson (Northwest Missouri State); Nick Frederickson (Quincy); Tony Binetti (Seattle Pacific); Cory Cangelosi (Univ. of Central Arkansas); Bryan Duplissie (Franklin Pierce); and Lloyd Price (California, Pa.)

Brezovec, a senior middle blocker from Durham, N.C., was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® volleyball first team (college division). Brezovec has a 4.00 GPA in her Sociology major.

Brezovec was first team All-South Atlantic Conference and Daktronics All-South Region (second team) on the volleyball court. Also, she was honored as the SAC Scholar Athlete for volleyball.

In 103 games in 2005, Brezovec had 412 kills (4.00/game), 140 blocks (1.36/game) and a .330 hitting percentage. A junior middle blocker, Brezovec was second in the SAC in hitting percentage. The Riverside High School graduate was 15th in the NCAA Division II in blocks per game.

Brezovec's 4.00 GPA in Sociology has afforded her membership in the Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Chi and Alpha Kappa Delta honor societies.

Brezovec is also active on the Wingate campus, serving as a student assistant and tutor for Sociology, a peer mentor to freshman students and a Wingate University Presidential Ambassador. She is part of the Leadership Fellows program, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Wingate Quality Enhancement Committee.

Rincon, from London, England (Heathside Sixth Form), was named to the first team 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America men's at-large team. He compiled a 14-6 mark at No. 1 singles and a 17-1 mark at No. 1 doubles while being named SAC Player of the Year for this second time in his career (2004 & 2006) and earning first team All-SAC honors for the fourth straight year. In addition, he was named the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament MVP and finished the year ranked No. 14 regionally in singles and No. 5 in doubles.

In the classroom, he carried a cumulative GPA of 3.86 while double majoring in mathematics and business administration with a concentration in economics. He has been selected to the SAC Academic Honor for four straight years, while being named to the school's Dean's List (3.3 GPA) for four semesters and to the President's List (4.0 GPA) for four semesters. He was named the SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's tennis for the second straight year. He is a member of the Sigma Kappa Alpha Honor Society and has been accepted to the London School of Economics, Vanderbilt University, and Notre Dame University for graduate studies in economics. Rincon, who received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship, is attending Duke University, working on his PhD in economics.

For his career, Rincon went undefeated in 4 years of league play in singles (20-0), earned SAC All-Tournament honors three times (2004-06), and was named the 2003 SAC Freshman of the Year.

In the community, Rincon served as a math tutor for middle and high school students and was a member of the Presbyterian College Student-Athlete Advisory Council.