Jan. 24, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference announced the 2006 Fall All-Academic Team yesterday, and eleven West Florida varsity athletes were voted to the squad. All five fall varsity programs including men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball were represented on the all-academic team.
Senior Brian Gowin (Pensacola, Fla. / Pine Forest HS) of the men's cross country team has cumulative is an accountancy major, who has compiled a GPA of 3.30. Gowin was qualified for an All-GSC First Team spot with his time of 26:33 in the conference championship meet in 8K race. He also posted the eighth fastest 10k time in school history with a time of 32:52, while finishing 14th at the NCAA II South Regional.
Senior Lauren Brooks (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake HS) and sophomore Jessica Spurgeon (Fayette, Mo. / Fayette HS) were voted on from the women's cross country team. Brooks is molecular biology major with a 3.77 GPA. She earned All-GSC Second Team honors by finishing 11th in the 5K race, with a time of 19:25 at the GSC Championships. Spurgeon is a marine biology major with a 3.93 GPA. She was also named to the All-GSC Second Team by finishing 19th with a time of 20:02 at the GSC Championships. For the second time in his career, senior goalkeeper Matt Gascoigne was named to the team. Gascoigne (Pensacola, Fla. / Washington HS) is a business administration major with a 3.92 GPA. He went 7-1-0 with three shutouts in games he started this year, including a win over Alabama-Huntsville in the GSC Semifinal. Gascoigne was named the UWF Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2005-06 and 2004-05. Junior forward Keith Savage (Gulf Breeze, Fla. / Gulf Breeze HS) is a physical education major with a 3.74 GPA. Savage was one of only ten NCAA Division II men's soccer student-athletes to earn first team All-America honors. Savage had earned All-Gulf South Conference, GSC All-Tournament Team, NCAA Division II South Region All-Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Daktronics All-South Region and NSCAA/Adidas All-South Region honors. Savage totaled 28 points on 11 goals and six assists this season. He currently ranks fourth all-time with 33 goals and fifth all-time with 82 points. Senior defender Okang Nkosi (Belmont, Trinidad) is currently enrolled in the college student personnel administration graduate program at UWF. Nkosi has a perfect 4.00 GPA. He was named to the NCAA II South Region All-Tournament Team for his performances against Lynn and Montevallo.
Senior defenders Lindsay Nemanich (Houston, Texas / Langham Creek HS) and Sheka Codner (Dover, Del. / Ceasar Rodney HS) were named from women's soccer. Nemanich receives conference all-academic honors for the second time. Nemanich received her second NSCAA/Adidas All-American award this season. She was also a Daktronics NCAA II All-American selection. She was named the GSC Co-Player of the Year, and also earned her second consecutive selection to the All-GSC Team. Nemanich also earned Daktronics and NSCAA/adidas All-South Region recognition. She led a defense that set a school record by only allowing 10 goals this season. Codner is a hospitality resort management major with a 3.88 GPA. Codner was named to the GSC All-Tournament Team. She was also named the 2005-06 UWF Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Similar to men's soccer, the volleyball team named three student athletes to the all-academic squad. Senior setter Marcela Cunha (Curitibia, Brazil / Northern Kentucky) is a management major with a 3.52 GPA. Cunha was named to the GSC All-Conference Second Team. Cunha averaged 7.73 assists and 2.30 digs per game this season. Senior outside hitter Carly Moyers (Eden Prairie, Minn. / Louisiana Tech) is an athletic training major with a 3.32 GPA. Moyers was an NCAA II All-South Central Region Honorable Mention, and All-GSC First Team selection. Moyers was second on the team with 2.88 kills per game and tied for second with 1.02 blocks per game. Moyers finished the season with 119 blocks, which was the third-highest single season total. Junior outside hitter Louann Rusch is a management major with a 3.84 GPA. She posted 1.43 kills and 1.62 digs per game. Rusch tallied a .916 attack percentage. West Florida had the third highest number of student athletes in the conference named to the GSC Academic Honor Roll with 51.
Academic All-GSC Teams are selected by the Gulf South Conference sports information directors and faculty athletic representatives in a joint vote. Nominees must have an overall grade point average of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be freshmen or first-semester or quarter transfers. The student-athlete must be a significant contributor to the squad. Other factors include leadership, community service and extra-curricular activities.