DATE: November 26, 2003

Ben Crossearned first team honors

CINCINNATI, OH -- Five members of the University of Delaware football squad have been selected to the Verizon/College Sports Information Directors of America District 2 All-Academic football team.

Junior defensive end Ben Cross and sophomore wide receiver Joe Bleymaier were named to the first team while senior offensive guard Jason Nerys, junior linebacker Mark Moore, and junior defensive tackle Chris Mooney were second team selections. As first team selections, Cross and Bleymaier are now eligible for the national Academic All-American team. Delaware and West Virginia University were the only schools to have five players selected to the team.

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be starters or key reserves for their team and must carry at least a 3.2 grade point index. District 2 includes all NCAA I-A and I-AA schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Cross, a junior defensive end from Hamilton, VA (Loudoun Valley HS), earned first team honors for the second straight season. A three-year letterwinner, he has played in 11 games this season and posted tackles 23 tackles, including 10 solo stops. He has 2.5 tackles for loss and also leads the team with three fumble recoveries. He also has played running back and linebacker during his career at Delaware. He carries a 3.928 gpa as a civil engineering.

Bleymaier, a sophomore wide receiver from Boise, ID (Bishop Kelly), is a second-year regular after transferring from Arizona State University. He has played in all 12 games this season and has caught 16 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also serves as Delaware's holder on placements and scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run off a fake earlier in the season. He carries a 3.45 gpa as a history major.

Nerys, a senior from Waldwick, NJ (Don Bosco Prep), earned All-District 2 honors for the second time in his career. A team co-captain and third-year starter, Nerys earned first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors this season and was a pre-season The Sports Network All-American. A three-time member of the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team, he carries a 3.417 gpa as a fitness management. He will play in the inaugural NCAA I-AA All-Star game Dec. 30 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Mooney, a junior from Huntington, NY (Huntington HS), earned All-District 2 honors for the second straight year. A standout on the Blue Hen defensive line, he earned second team All-Atlantic 10 honors last week. He has appeared in all 12 games with 10 starts and has posted 29 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. He also has broken up three passes and blocked two kicks. He carries a 3.464 gpa as an accounting major at Delaware.

Moore, a junior from Lewes, DE (Cape Henlopen HS), was a first-time honoree. A second-year starter, he has appeared in all 12 games this season and ranks fifth on the squad with 55 tackles, including 27 solo stops. He has three sacks for 19 yards and 5.5 tackles for losses of 23 yards. He also has broken up a pass and has forced two fumbles. He carries a 3.245 gpa in biology education.

The No. 3 ranked Blue Hens, who captured a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference title this fall with a record of 11-1, is the No. 2 seed in the NCAA I-AA Tournament which begins this Saturday. Delaware will take on No. 5 ranked Southern Illinois (10-1) at 1 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

AGATE:

First Team Offense: QB - Chad Schwenk (Lehigh); WR - Dave Crockett (Lehigh), Joe Bleymaier (Delaware); TE - Ray Pilch (Rutgers); RB - Mike Hillard (Duquesne), Mikal Lundy (Towson); OL - Curt Wilson (Lafayette), Stephen Bono (Lafayette), Dave Costlow (Penn State), Justin Gibson (Bucknell), Jon Schall (Pittsburgh); K - Nick Novack (Maryland)

First Team Defense - DB - Nathan Jones (Rutgers), Andrew Guman (Penn State), P.D. Moore (Towson), Raymond Ventrone (Villanova); LB - Jonathan LeDonne (Robert Morris), Gino Capone (Penn State), Adam Lehnortt (West Virginia); DL - Vince Crochunis (Pittsburgh), Dan Stephens (Pittsburgh), Ben Cross (Delaware), Shawn Tidwell (Bucknell); P - Carl Parrish (Saint Francis).

Second Team Offense: QB - Michael Robinson (Penn State); WR - John Pennington (West Virginia), Michael McClelland (Monmouth); TE - Bill Brossman (Towson); OL - Mike Finn (Villanova), Kevin Mager (Towson), Jason Nerys (Delaware), Scott Fleming (West Virginia), Ken Chambon (Duquesne), Garin Justice (West Virginia); P - Peter Veldman (Pennsylvania)

Second Team Defense: DB - Blake Perry (Princeton), Paris McLean (La Salle), Gio Vendemia (Penn State), Dave Ulmer (Bucknell), Mark Moore (Delaware); Justin Marino (Robert Morris); DL - Chris Young (La Salle), Tim Kirby (Princeton), Chris Mooney (Delaware), Bob Pluta (Monmouth), Joe Weiss (Princeton); P - Todd James (West Virginia).