Zoltan Mesko, Jason Olesnavage named Academic All-Big Ten
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Punter Zoltan Mesko and kicker Jason Olesnavage were two of 10 Michigan football players named Academic All-Big Ten on Tuesday.
Mesko, an Academic All-American, led the Big Ten in punting this year with a 44.5-yard average. He’s a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which will be presented next week. Olesnavage, in his first year as starter, made 11-of-15 field goals.
J.B. Fitzgerald, John Ferrara, Will Heininger, Matt Cavanaugh, Jon Conover, Zac Johnson, Tim North and Mike Therman also were named all-academic for Michigan.
To be eligible for the award, athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
Michigan had the fewest all-academic selections of any football program, and the second fewest total honorees in all fall sports (41). Ohio State led all football programs with 31 all-academic selections and 95 total recipients. Northwestern was second with 27 football players honored.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez praised his team's academic accomplishments several times this year, though he amended a statement he made claiming his team achieved its highest ever grade-point average earlier this fall.
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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Does anyone else think it is kinda odd that only the kickers
made the all academic team?
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Posted Dec 2 2009
Not realy -- considering the other criteria include sophomore status and a letterwinner...
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Posted Dec 2 2009
The King will make this a wonderful Christmas for us all.
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Posted Dec 2 2009
wow...6 of our 10 guys were in the sports management field....so how many other guys on the team are in the sports management program?
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Posted Dec 2 2009
Note that 3 of the guys in the sports management program are in the graduate program - already earned their bachelors in the B school and in economics. TOugh fields.
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Posted Dec 7 2009