Seven athletes given football honors

This past week seven Whitworth football players were named to the prestigious 2009 ESPN Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII College Division football team. The team is a collection of the best student football athletes, and Whitworth players filled seven of the team’s 23 spots, showcasing the multifaceted nature of the 2009 football team.

The offensive selections for the CoSIDA team feature junior offensive lineman Emilio Sulpizio, senior offensive lineman Michael Nahl, sophomore quarterback Andrew Durant and sophomore offensive lineman Zak Richardson.

The offensive honorees feature many different majors and interests, but all the players are excellent students. Sulpizio is majoring in biochemistry, and has a 3.82 GPA. He is a starter for the offensive line along with Nahl and Richardson. Richardson is an accounting major with a 3.97 GPA, and Durant is a health fitness and physical education major with a GPA of 3.67.

Nahl, the lone senior out of the group, is a kinesiology major. He has maintained a 3.59 GPA throughout his time at Whitworth and following graduation he aims to go into a graduate assistance-ship, a program that will allow him to coach at a college level while also earning his masters in exercise science or education.

“Time management is key,” Nahl said regarding his success over the last four years. “I have to set aside time every day to do homework, just two or three hours where I can focus and get something done.”

Nahl eventually hopes to become a college football coach or possibly a professor.
There were three selections from Whitworth for the defensive CoSIDA team. Sophomore defensive back Derek Stottlemeyer is the youngest of the group, and is an engineering physics major with a 3.81 GPA. Junior defensive lineman Travis Niles and junior defensive back Robert Schaefer round out the CoSIDA selections. Niles has a 3.98 GPA as a theology major, while Schaefer is a biophysics major with a 3.56 GPA.

“These selections just go to show that you can be a college athlete and do well in school,” Niles said. “One doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other.”

Niles, a two time CoSIDA honoree along with Emilio Sulpizio, also stressed the importance of time management in his success. Niles hopes to take a year off after college to travel and work in Germany, and then continue his education in pursuit of a doctorate.

The seven CoSIDA selections are an affirmation of the overall academic strength of the Whitworth football team. “It’s just a great team and a great group of guys,” Nahl said. “Most all of the players are very intelligent. Whitworth is a hard school to get into and everyone is pretty academically focused.”

Six of the seven honorees are slated to return next year, and the team is looking forward to a great season both on and off the field.

Contact Peter Landgren at peter.landgren@whitworthian.com.

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