University Park, Pa., Dec. 21, 2005 - Seventy-one Nittany Lion student-athletes, representing seven fall sports, have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Penn State's 71 fall honorees tied the Nittany Lions with Indiana for the lead among conference institutions.

The Big Ten Academic All-Conference award winners also achieved excellence outside of the classroom. Women's volleyball's Kaleena Walters was tabbed volleyball's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Nittany Lions to their third consecutive Big Ten title. In women's soccer, Tiffany Weimer collected Offensive Player of the Year laurels for the second consecutive year, while Lindsay Bach shared Defensive Player of the Year accolades. The men's soccer duo of Conrad Taylor and David Walters earned All-Big Ten first-team honors. On the football field, Paul Posluszny was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team while also winning the Bednark Award for the nation's top defensive player and the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.

On Monday, it was announced that student-athletes from 19 of Penn State's 25 teams earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 80 percent or higher according to statistical information released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Seven Penn State squads earned a Graduation Success Rate of 100 percent.

Track and field and cross country are counted as one sport in the four-year data, bringing Penn State's total of 29 varsity programs to 25 for the NCAA survey. The national GSR average was 76 percent, giving Penn State 20 of 25 teams above the national average.

The Big Ten recognized 603 fall student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a career grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.

Listed below are Penn State's 2005-06 Academic All-Big Ten honorees for fall sports:

Men's Cross Country: Kyle Berseth SR Landscape Architecture Bear, Del. Matthew Lincoln SR Kinesiology Toronto, Canada Daniel Mazzocco JR Kinesiology Pittsburgh, Pa. Ian McCann SR Political Science West Chester, Pa. David Moore JR Biology Dingaman Ferry, Pa. Patrick Murphy SR Architectural Engineering Binghampton, N.Y. Dennis O'Connor SO Engineering Philadelphia, Pa. Edward Quinn SO Communications Butler, Pa. Women's Cross Country: Jordan Bauman SO Science Lewistown, Pa. Caitlin Belfield SO Biology Harleysville, Pa. Nicole Bohnsack SO Health and Human Development Rockford, Mich. Tracey Brauksieck SR Agricultural Science Homer, N.Y. Mary Kate Curran SR Kinesiology Springfield, Pa. Sonja Hinish SO Engineering Williamsburg, Pa. Shannon Van Dyke JR Animal Bioscience Acton, Mass. Bernadette Walsh SR Elementary/Kindergarten Education Blue Bell, Pa. Football: Gerald Cadogan SO Division of Undergraduate Studies Portsmouth, Ohio Joseph Cianciolo SR Economics Charleston, S.C. Daniel Corrado SR Kinesiology Verona, N.J. Joshua Gaines SO Division of Undergraduate Studies Ft. Wayne, Ind. Jason Ganter JR Economics State College, Pa. Andrew Kubic SR Civil Engineering Honolulu, Hawaii Nolan McCready SR Political Science Wyomissing, Pa. Michael Pawlikowski GR Graduate: Industrial Relations and Human Resources Holland, Pa. Paul Posluszny JR Finance Aliquippa, Pa. Curtis Reese SR Civil Engineering Bellefonte, Pa. Michael Robinson GR Journalism Richmond, Va. John Royse SR Turfgrass Science State College, Pa. Tyrell Sales SO Business Administration Butler, Pa. Adam Senk SR Architectural Engineering Cortland, Ohio Timothy Shaw SR Management Livonia, Mich. Patrick Weber JR Kinesiology Arnold, Pa. Brent Wise JR Science Harrisburg, Pa. Jeremy Zwierzynski SR Management Oswego, Ill. Women's Volleyball: Kris Brown JR Kinesiology Wooster, Ohio Maggie Case JR Health and Human Development Youngstown, Ohio Ann Naylor SO Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management Los Angeles, Calif. Cassy Salyer JR Journalism Aurora, Colo. Melissa Walbridge SO Integrative Arts Yardley, Pa. Kaleena Walters SR Psychology Mt. Lebanon, Pa. Men's Soccer: Ryan Badaracco SO Division of Undergraduate Studies Wexford, Pa. Yan Carvalho SO Business Administration Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Geordie MacNeill SO Business Administration Richmond Hill, Ontario Stephen Reihner SO Agriculture Washington, Pa. Daniel Shaffer SO Business Administration Lancaster, Pa. Conrad Taylor SO Health and Human Development Colorado Springs, Colo. David Walters SR Recreation and Park Management Hunlock Creek, Pa. Women's Soccer: Kaleen Adami SO Crime, Law, and Justice Trenton, N.J. Aubrey Aden-Buie SO Science Allentown, Pa. Lindsay Bach GR Communications Sciences and Disorders Rochester, N.Y. Zoe Bouchelle SO Liberal Arts Cockeysville, Md. Amanda Brown SR Advertising and Public Relations Manasquan, N.J. Sarah Dwyer JR Economics Califon, N.J. Janelle Hoak SR Kinesiology South Park, Pa. Natalie Jacobs SR Advertising and Public Relations Centreville, Va. Alexandra Krieger JR Advertising and Public Relations Dumfries, Va. Holly Lincoln JR Kinesiology Scarborough, Ontario Erin McLeod SR Advertising and Public Relations Vancouver, Canada Carmelina Moscato SR Communications Arts and Sciences Mississaugua, Ontario Jean Rettig JR Psychology Hummelstown, Pa. Heather Tomko JR Advertising and Public Relations Manchester, Md. Tiffany Weimer SR Journalism North Haven, Conn. Field Hockey: Jennifer Beaumont SO Division of Undergraduate Studies Chalfont, Pa. Sara Cahill SR Communications Arts and Sciences Virginia Beach, Va. Erica Hoffsmith SO Kinesiology Anneville, Pa. Rebekah Hostetler GR Elementary and Kindergarten Education Hershey, Pa. Annelise Legel JR Kinesiology Morgantown, Pa. Britney Long SO Health and Human Development Lancaster, Pa. Carey Maser JR Elementary and Kindergarten Education Medford, N.J. Kristen Miller SR Letters, Arts, and Sciences Littleton, Mass. Molly Schriver GR Elementary and Kindergarten Education Kenilworth, Ill. Kiersten Wood SO Health and Human Development Lititz , Pa.