Oct. 9, 2008

Basketball student-athlete Anna Atkinson of Wingate and football student-athlete Michael Eubanks of Delta State have been selected as the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association's 2007-08 female and male Division II National Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

The CCA also named eight men's and women's regional winners including former Wayne State University diver Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich.).

Atkinson recorded a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average as a junior biology major and led Wingate to the Elite Eight. Eubanks, a 2007 Harlon Hill finalist, has a 3.61 cumulative GPA in biology and chemistry.

The award were initiated in 1999-2000 and are sponsored by Disney Sports.

Division II CCA President and Sunshine State Conference Commissioner Mike Marcil said the winners exemplify the mission of Division II. "NCAA Division II emphasizes providing student-athletes growth opportunities through academic achievement, athletics competition and engagement with the community," he said. "All of these learning experiences have provided the scholar-athlete award winners with a path to graduation and successful lives ahead. We are grateful to Disney Sports for helping us to recognize the academic and athletics accomplishments of these exceptional Division II student-athletes."

Atkinson earned the South Atlantic Conference Female Athlete of the Year Award and the South Atlantic Conference Presidents' Award, which is presented to the conference's top female scholar-athlete. She is only the third person in conference history to win both of the league's prestigious postseason awards. Atkinson was also the 2008 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Bulldogs with 14.8 points per game and 8.4 assists per game. She was second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.27), third in assists and fifth in steals (3.7 per game).

Atkinson is one of only three NCAA Division II student-athletes to earn all-American honors on the court and in the classroom during the 2007-08 season. She was named to the 2007-08 Daktronics Division II women's basketball all-American third team and to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America women's basketball first-team (college division).

The other women's regional winners are Erika Barczak [Wayne State (Michigan), swimming and diving]; Emily Brister (West Texas A&M, basketball); Jennifer Hansen (Slippery Rock, track and field); Danielle McCawley (Nebraska-Omaha, soccer); Mallory Poole (C.W. Post, lacrosse); Shyla Rider (Barry, softball); and Haley Schumers (Dixie State, softball).

Barczak was chosen as the 2007-08 GLIAC Female Student-Athlete of the Year after winning both the one-meter and three-meter diving titles and the league championship meet. At the NCAA Championship, Barczak earned two First Team All-America honors by placing fourth in one-meter diving (408.75) and sixth on the three-meter board (366.85). In addition, she was voted to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV College Division Women's At-Large First Team (college division).

Eubanks, a linebacker, is just the third defender ever to make the final three for the Harlon Hill award. He was a unanimous 2007 all-American by the Associated Press, AFCA, D2Football.com, FB Gazette, and Daktronics. He was 2007 first-team all-Southeast Region and the 2007 Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year. His senior season, Eubanks posted 90 tackles (48 solos) and led the Gulf South with 27 tackles for loss for 138 yards and 12 sacks for loss of 85 yards. Eubanks was the Charles S. Kerg Senior Athlete of the Year at Delta State and won the American Football Foundation Eddie Robinson National Scholar-Athlete Award. He also was a National Finalist for the American Football Foundation Draddy Award (all divisions).

The other seven men's regional winners for 2007-08 are Tyler Cooper (West Texas A&M, basketball); Chris Cummings (Mansfield, track); Steve Dagostino (Saint Rose, basketball); Garrett Fischer (Rockhurst, tennis); Frank Leibfarth (South Dakota, football); Keith Lemay (Western Washington, football); and Jason Sherrer (Mount Olive, baseball).