In the first round of Academic All-America voting, seven Kentucky Wildcats have been elected to the Academic All-District IV Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Three players were named first-team all-district and will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America. Four Wildcats were selected second-team all-district, but will not be on the national ballot. To earn a nomination for the Academic All-America process, a player must have a career grade-point average of 3.2 or higher, be a sophomore or higher in academic and athletic standing, and be a starter or key reserve. District IV is comprised of universities from the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Voting for Academic All-America will be later this month and the team will be announced in December.
Kentucky?s first-team Academic All-District IV honorees, who will be on the national ballot, include:
Kicker Taylor Begley, a junior from Danville, has a 3.817 GPA with a major in Electrical Engineering. Begley leads the team in scoring with 40 points, having made 8-of-13 field goals and all 16 extra points. He has made a school-record 73 consecutive extra points. Running back Alexis Bwenge, a junior from St. Apollinaire, Quebec, has a 3.473 GPA with a major in Public Administration. He has rushed for 79 yards and three touchdowns this season. Particularly impressive about Bwenge?s academic accomplishments is the fact that he came to Kentucky with English as a second language. His primary language growing up was French. Offensive tackle Hayden Lane, a sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga., has a 3.958 GPA and a double major in Anthropology and Classics. He has started every game this season at right tackle. Lane is scheduled to graduate in 2005, needing only three years to earn his diploma. He is considering applying for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Eventually, he would like to combine his interests in Christianity and ancient history and get into the field of Biblical archaeology.
Kentucky?s second-team Academic All-District IV honorees include:
Tight end Jeremiah Drobney, a junior from Massillon, Ohio, has a 3.823 GPA with a major in Finance. He has caught 11 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown in 2004. Offensive guard Matt Huff, a senior from Louisville, has a 3.224 GPA and a major in Foreign Language and International Economics. Huff has started every game but one at right guard. Cornerback Antoine Huffman, a junior from Jonesboro, Ga., has a 3.450 GPA with a major in Telecommunications. Huffman leads the team in pass breakups with six and also has an interception and fumble recovery this year. Wide receiver Gerad Parker, a senior from Louisa, Ky., has a perfect 4.000 GPA in his master?s program in education and had a 3.205 in his undergraduate program in secondary education. He has caught 14 passes for 160 yards this season.
Big Blue Crush Underway: The 17th-annual ?Big Blue Crush? blood drive competition between the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee began today and continues through Friday, Nov. 19
Kentucky leads the series, 9-6, and there has been one tie. UK Coach Rich Brooks gave the ceremonial first pint of blood during a news conference on Nov. 11 and he encourages fans to make their donations this week.
In the Lexington area, fans can bleed blue for the Wildcats at the Central Kentucky Blood Center office at 330 Waller Avenue. The CKBC will be open Nov. 15-19 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fans also may give blood at the CKBC offices in Somerset, Pikeville, and Prestonsburg.
