April 3, 2008

University Park, Pa. - Fifty-four Nittany Lion student-athletes, representing seven winter sports, have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Penn State's 54 honorees ranks second among Big Ten institutions and brings the Lions' all-time total to 2,933 over the last 14 years, including 135 selections during the 2007-2008 school year.

Senior women's swimmer Molly Crispell, who is majoring in Biobehavioral Health, is one of only five Big Ten winter student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

The Big Ten Academic All-Conference award winners also achieved excellence outside of the classroom. Men's basketball junior guard Danny Morrissey led the Lions in three-point field goals made with 58 for the season and senior men's gymnast Derek Helsby is a finalist for the 2008 Nissen-Emery Award, the highest individual honor presented in collegiate gymnastics. Men's swimmers Sean Biedermann and Vincent Reydams were members of the 200 free relay team who logged their best time of the year at the NCAA Championships while women's basketball sophomore Meggan Quinn had a career-high 11 points against Purdue on Jan. 17. Sophomore women's gymnast Brandi Personett captured her second consecutive individual Big Ten All-Around title and junior women's swimmer Kelly Nelson became Penn State's first All-American since 2006 with a sixth-place finish in the 200 butterfly at the NCAA Championships while senior wrestler Jacob Strayer, an All-American for the Lions, ended his career with a record of 64-19.

The Big Ten recognized a total of 469 winter sport 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.

For more information on Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.