Wingate, N.C.----Five Wingate University and one Catawba College football student-athletes have been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III football first team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

Bulldog senior offensive lineman Josh Threatt (Monroe, N.C.) is a two-time honoree, as he was named Academic All-District III, first team in 2004. Four teammates join Threatt on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III football first team.

Wingate junior wide receiver Dan Brooks (Monroe, N.C.), junior defensive end Frank Marino (Matthews, N.C.), redshirt sophomore Greg Keziah (Charlotte, N.C.) and junior safety Jeremy Kent (Danbury, N.C.) join Threatt on the first team.

The members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (by districts) selected the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III football team. Twenty-two student-athletes were named first team Academic All-District III in football. The 22 first team members will advance to the national ballot.

The District III College Division consists of all-non NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or a significant reserve on his team.

Josh Threatt is a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. He was a voted a team captain by his teammates in 2005. Thanks to the efforts of Threatt and his offensive line mates, the Bulldogs averaged 362.2 yards per game total offense in 2005 and 388.5 yards per game total offense in 2004. Josh Threatt played his high school football at Forest Hills.

Entering the 2005 season, Threatt had allowed only three sacks in three years. He was one of two student-athletes named first team All-American Athlete of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in 2005. Threatt sports a 3.38 GPA in his finance major.

Dan Brooks was named to the All-South Atlantic Conference, second team in 2005. He shared the SAC lead in touchdown receptions with 10 this season. In 2005, Brooks led the Bulldogs with 41 catches for 633 yards and 10 scores.

Brooks has caught at least one pass in 11 straight games, dating to last season. In 2004, he caught 14 passes for 336 yards and six touchdowns. For his Wingate career, Brooks has 55 catches and 16 TD receptions. The Piedmont High School product has a 3.60 GPA in Management.

Frank Marino was elected a 2005 team captain by his peers. He is one of the top students in Wingate’s Business department. Marino has a 3.95 GPA in Finance. On the field, Marino notched 25 tackles in 2005 (15 solo, 10 assists).

Marino had a season-high five tackles in a win at North Greenville on Sept. 10, 2005. On the season, Marino had three quarterback hurries, 2.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and one forced fumble. Marino played his prep football at Sun Valley High School.

Greg Keziah consistently grades as one of Wingate’s top offensive linemen. An Independence High School graduate, Keziah has started every game for the Bulldogs during his two seasons (he redshirted in 2003).

Keziah and his offensive line brethren have helped Wingate average 30.7 points per game in 2004 and 27.1 points per game in 2005. In the classroom, Keziah has compiled a 3.31 GPA in his Psychology major.

Jeremy Kent moved into a starting safety position for the Bulldogs in 2005. He responded in a big way, placing second on Wingate’s tackle charts with 78 total stops (46 solo, 32 assists). Kent had 52 tackles in Wingate’s final five games of the season, including a career-high 16 tackles against NCAA Division II play-off qualifier Presbyterian (Oct. 29, 2005).

Kent had two interceptions on the year, one against Presbyterian and one in a road win at Tusculum (Sept. 24, 2005). In addition, Kent notched three tackles for losses in 2005. A product of North Stokes High School, Kent has compiled a 3.28 GPA in Computer Science at Wingate.

Catawba junior linebacker Lester Sconyers (New Bern, NC) is one of 22 players chosen to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine District III All-Academic Football Team. Sconyers was also a first team All-South Atlantic Conference selection.

Sconyers led Catawba in tackles this season with 91, including three sacks and 14 stops for losses. The junior also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble. He has a 3.42 GPA and is majoring in information systems.

Wingate was the only NCAA Division II school with five student-athletes on an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District football team (college division). NCAA Division III member Washington & Lee University shared top District III honors with Wingate, as the Generals also had five first team selections.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (also an NCAA Division III institution) had six student-athletes make the District I first team to lead all college division schools.

ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Football Team -- College Division
Banks, Donny, Washington & Lee, Punter
Roncketti, Chris, Methodist, Quarterback
Brooks, Dan, Wingate, Receiver
Smith, Drew, Hampden-Sydney, Receiver
Neff, Ryan, Washington & Lee, Tight End
Hamoy, Dustin, Ferrum, Running Back
Haslam, Tyler, Emory & Henry, Offensive Line
Breen, Rhyan, Methodist, Offensive Line
Keziah, Greg, Wingate, Offensive Line
Threatt, Josh, Wingate, Offensive Line
Swann, Stuart, Washington & Lee, Defensive Back
Snoddy, Mark, Washington & Lee, Defensive Back
Mosser, Justin, Shenandoah, Defensive Back
Kent, Jeremy, Wingate, Defensive Back
Lawrence, Daryl, Methodist, Linebacker
Sconyers, Lester, Catawba, Linebacker
Wall, Brandon, Greensboro, Linebacker
Fry, Wes, Shenandoah, Linebacker
Marino, Frank, Wingate, Defensive Line
Murray, Liam, Washington & Lee, Defensive Line
Rhone, Thomas, Randolph-Macon, Defensive Line
Marshburn, Chris, Randolph-Macon, Defensive Line