WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Five men’s basketball student-athletes were named to the America East All-Academic team at the league’s annual awards reception on Friday at the University of Hartford, which is hosting the conference’s Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Newman’s Own for the second straight year this weekend.
Third-team all-conference performer Logan Aronhalt (Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville) from University at Albany highlights the team. Also a Captial One/CoSIDA Academic All-District I selection, Aronhalt is one of three Great Danes on the America East All-Academic squad. He is joined by junior Billy Allen (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton), a repeat choice, and classmate Jacob Iati (York, Pa./York Catholic/High Point. Two more repeat selections round out the team in University of Maine junior Andrew Rogers (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and University of New Hampshire junior Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Athena).
The All-Academic teams are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Directors meeting where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, who excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field.
For the third straight year, the America East All-Academic teams were chosen using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.
All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., five on the court for basketball) but can be more if there is a tie in voting. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.