Wingate’s Brezovec, Tusculum’s Black Named Regional Winners For DII Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete Award

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Sixteen regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award have been announced today, with former Wingate University volleyball standout Rebecca Brezovec and former Tusculum College football standout Glen Black named the winners for the South Atlantic Region.

A male and female Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be selected from the 16 regional winners, eight men and eight women. Brezovec earns this distinction for the second year in a row.

Sponsored by Disney Sports Attractions, the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award provides the opportunity for NCAA 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," Naumovich acknowledges. "We have great students and great athletes."

Rebecca Brezovec

Glen Black

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.

With a strong commitment to education and a long-standing relationship with Division II athletics, the involvement of Disney Sports Attractions in the award is a natural fit.

"Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex has become a destination for top collegiate athletics, particularly at the Division II level," Sports Account Manager for Disney Sports Attractions Fred Schoeler says. "In addition to working with the Division II Commissioners Association on the creation of Disney's Division II Men's and Women's Tip-Off Classic basketball tournaments, we are thrilled to continue our involvement with the Scholar Athlete Awards, which honors the academic and athletic accomplishments of Division II's top student-athletes."

In addition to Brezovec, the eight women's regional winners include: Megan Brown (Florida Southern); Ana Gutierrez (Seattle); Mary Moskal (Lewis); Meggan Roberge (Saint Michael's); Sarah Shearman (Truman State); Jessica Trautwein (Minnesota State Moorhead) and Jamie Wolf (Clarion)

In addition to Black, the eight men's regional winners include: Michael Greenwood (North Dakota); Adam Jensen (Seattle); Morten Jensen (Dowling); Mike Klobucher (Ferris State); Ryan Meredith (Pittsburg State) and Patrick Rittenauer (Barry)

Opened in 1997, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex hosts more than 180 amateur and professional sports events each year at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The sprawling 220-acre state-of-the-art complex includes multiple venues. The complex is home to numerous collegiate tournaments, the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, the Major League Baseball Atlanta Braves spring training and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays-Texas Rangers regular-season series, the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, the Pop Warner Super Bowl and the AAU National Championship events.

The national award winners will be announced in late September.

Former South Atlantic Conference student-athletes who have received this honor include: Alex Kellner, Newberry (2002); Marci Mitchell, Carson-Newman (2003); Linsay Hinson, Wingate (2004); Hector Rincon, Presbyterian (2006) and Brezovec (2006).

Rebecca Brezovec

Recently, Brezovec (Class of 2007) was named one of the top 30 contenders for the 2007 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The WOTY nominees represent all three divisions. These student-athletes have excelled in academics, athletics and community service. Nine finalists (three from each NCAA division) will be determined in September.

Former Wingate University volleyball player Rebecca Brezovec was named the Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year regional winner for the second year in a row.

In the fall of 2006, Rebecca Brezovec was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® of the Year for volleyball by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). In addition, she earned the SAC Presidents Award during the spring. Brezovec also received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following her senior season.

The 2006 South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, Brezovec is a two-time All-SAC middle blocker. Brezovec won the SAC Scholar-Athlete Award for volleyball for the second time in 2006. The SAC Scholar-Athlete Award is a prestigious honor given to only one student-athlete in each of the league's 14 sports.

Wingate qualified for the NCAA Division II play-offs three times during Brezovec's four-year career. Brezovec was the only representative from the South Atlantic Conference to earn DAKTRONICS Volleyball All-South Region laurels in 2006. She was named second team All-South Region as a senior and a junior.

Brezovec was a headliner on the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® volleyball first team (College Division), as selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Brezovec earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® volleyball first team honors for the second year in a row in 2006.

Brezovec was voted Academic All-America® of the Year in volleyball for the College Division following the 2006 season. Only one student-athlete is selected Academic All-America® of the Year in each sport. She is the second Wingate student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® of the Year honors. Bulldog women's tennis standout Jenna Calomeris was the Academic All-America® of the Year for the At-Large program in 2002.

At Wingate University's 2007 athletic awards ceremony, Brezovec received two major awards. She shared the Joyce Gragg Pipes Award for Female Athlete of the Year with basketball standout Tanetra Barrett (Marshville, N.C.). In addition, Brezovec and soccer defender Heather Schlick (Prior Lake, Minn.) earned the C.B. and Beadie Haskins Scholarship Award, presented to the Wingate University senior student-athlete with the highest grade point average.

During the University's 2007 Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 12, Brezovec garnered two awards. She was presented the C. C. Burris Award, given annually to the graduating senior woman who represents the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. In addition, Brezovec, Schlick and three classmates earned the H.K. Helms Award, presented annually to the graduating Wingate senior achieving the highest scholastic average. The Riverside High School product graduated summa cum laude with a 4.00 GPA as a Sociology major.

In addition, Brezovec earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship this spring. The NCAA postgraduate scholarship is a one-time grant of $7,500 that is awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports every year. The scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants. Brezovec will be continuing her education at her alma mater as a graduate student.

Glen Black

Black, a native of Bristol, Tenn., becomes the first student-athlete in Tusculum history to earn this prestigious honor.

Black was named the men's recipient of the SAC Presidents Award, becoming only the second football player in the 19-year history to receive this award.

He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Football Second Team last fall, becoming the first player in the program's history to earn Academic All-America® distinction.

Former Tusculum College kicker Glen Black was named the Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year regional winner .

Black graduated in the fall of 2006 with a 3.82 cumulative grade point average, while earning a degree in Accounting. He was also named the SAC Scholar Athlete for football the last two seasons (2005 & 2006).

Black enjoyed a solid season on the gridiron leading the Pioneers in scoring with 43 points. The Tennessee High School graduate went 22-of-24 on extra points and 7-of-11 on field goals earning All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team honors. Black was named the SAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice during his career, including once in 2006.

The Tennessee High School graduate is ranked second in Tusculum history with 111 career points (kicking) and is the all-time leader in extra points (69) and extra point attempts (77).

Black was a campus leader, serving as vice president of student government association. He led weekly Bible studies with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as well as worked with a local church to develop a Tusculum Baptist College Night. He volunteered with numerous community service projects through Nettie Day at Tusculum College and through church activities.

He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team last fall and was tabbed to the 2006 American Football Coaches Association of America Good Works Team which recognizes community service, along with athletic and academic achievement. He was one of only 22 collegiate football players in the country to earn this prestigious honor.

Black is completing his Masters degree in Accountancy at East Tennessee State University. He has also continued his work at Tusculum Baptist Church where he leads the Wednesday night Bible School.