College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Team

Emeka Okafor and Kristen Shields won 2003-04 Academic All-America® of the Year honors  announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Academic All-America of the Year honors for the university division were awarded to men's basketball player Okafor of the University of Connecticut. Okafor, a 2004 consensus first team All-American, led the UConn Huskies to a 33-6 record and the NCAA Championship by averaging 17.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.1 blocked shots per game in 2003-04. He was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2004 NCAA Final Four, and was also tabbed NABC and Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year.

As a senior, he led the nation with 24 double-doubles, giving him 53 in his collegiate career. He also tied for first in the nation in blocks per game and was third in rebounding in 2003-04. Okafor was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year and All-Big East selection. In the classroom, Okafor maintained a 3.74 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) majoring in finance. He graduated in just three years and was named the 2004 Big East Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Whitworth College track & field sprinter Shields was selected as the college division's Academic All-America®  of the Year. Selected as this year's college division Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Member of the Year, Shields was the NCAA Division III national champion in the 100 meter dash, while also earning All-America honors by placing sixth in the 200 meter dash.

She posted the fastest time in the 100 (school-record 11.70) in Division III this season, while also breaking the school mark in the 200 (25.06). Shields was named Northwest Conference Women's Athlete of the Meet after winning both the 100 and 200 and anchoring the winning 4x100 relay team this spring. She also participated in the 200 meter dash and 4x100 relay as a junior at the 2003 NCAA Championships. In the classroom, Shields boasts a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average majoring in mathematics. A two-time Academic All-American (earning third team honors in 2003), she earned the President's Cup Award for graduating from Whitworth with a 4.0 GPA.

The Academic All-America of the Year honor, which began in 1987-88, is awarded to the most outstanding student-athlete of the year and is chosen from the student-athletes who have been awarded Team Member of the Year honors. From over 360,000 student-athletes in the nation, just 816 are selected as Academic All-America Team members each year, twenty-four are selected as Team Members of the Year and two are named Academic All-America of the Year.

"With over 10,000 student athletes being nominated for Academic All-America® each year, and considering the number of athletes completing in intercollegiate sports, to reach the epitome of what it means to be a successful student-athlete and be selected as the best of the best is quite an amazing achievement," said Bentley College's Dick Lipe, Academic All-America chair at CoSIDA.

Former recipients of Academic All-America of the Year honors include Rebecca Lobo (1994-95), Peyton Manning (1997-98), Chad Pennington (1999-00) and Stacey Dales-Schuman (2001-02).  A full list of the previous recipients of the AAA of the Year award follows.
Founded by CoSIDA in 1952, the Academic All-America Teams program recognizes collegiate student-athletes for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the playing field.

Over the past 50 years, the Academic All-America program has grown into one of the most recognized and prestigious collegiate scholar-athlete awards nationwide, honoring student-athletes from all NCAA championship sports. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. 

CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA®OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

* From 1988-1995 only one winner was chosen per year. Beginning in 1996 the format was changed to select one winner per year in each division (college and university).