Fisher's Silvanic Headlines Six Empire 8 Student-Athletes Named Academic All-District Selections

1/17/2019 2:30:05 PM

OFFICIAL RELEASE
Six Empire 8 Conference football student-athletes were recently honored for their academic success by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). St. John Fisher's Tony Silvanic posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average to lead the way. He was one of just 17 Division III student-athletes recognized that posted a perfect GPA, and the only one representing District 3 (New York). Brockport's DaQuan Hubbard and John Tucci were also honored, as were Cortland's Michael Bailey, Hartwick's Bobby Shepard and Fisher's Michael Chase. 

CLOSER LOOK
A finance major, Silvanic had a breakout season this past fall for the Cardinals as the linebacker ranked third overall on the team, and was 13th in the Empire 8 in total tackles with 68. He played in all nine games for Fisher and finished his season with five tackles for a loss including a half sack and a forced fumble.

Chase was also named Academic All-District as the biology major holds a 3.85 cumulative GPA. He concluded his season with 22 tackles. The defensive back broke up two passes and came up with an interception at Utica.

Brockport's Hubbard led a solid receiving unit for the Green and Gold, ranking in the top 10 of receivers nationally, with his 21.5-yards per catch average. He amassed 508-yards this season on 27 catches with five TDs. A junior, Hubbard posted a 3.38 GPA while majoring in physical education.

Tucci was a part of the nationally acclaimed Brockport defense. The Golden Eagles led all Divisions in 2018 in rushing defense (negative 2.8-yards per game), red zone defense (.214) and third down conversion defense (.131). Tucci totaled 12 tackles as a member of the defensive line with three sacks and has a 3.51 grade point average, while majoring in Sports Management at Brockport.

Cortland's Bailey is a biology major who entered the 2018 fall semester with a 3.79 cumulative grade point average. A starter at center in all 10 games this past season, he helped the Red Dragons set a school single-season scoring record with 39.3 points per game. Cortland ranked 17th nationally in Division III with 295.9 passing yards per game and 38th nationally in total offense with 436.8 yards per game.

Hartwick's Shepard started all 10 of the Hawks' games at offensive tackle. The Economics and Business Administration major has made the Dean's List and has been a Phillip S. Wilder Jr. Award winner for academic distinction from 2015-18. The senior with a 3.86 GPA is also a member of the International Honor Society in Business (Sigma Beta Delta) and the Economics Honor Society (Omicron Delta Epsilon).

The 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Football Team, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The Google Cloud Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

For more information about CoSIDA’s Google Cloud Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit the Academic All-America® home page on CoSIDA.com.

- Information for this release provided by the athletic communication staffs at Brockport, Cortland, Hartwick, and St. John Fisher - 

About the Empire 8 Conference
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and aspire to be regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8.