Two Wingate student-athletes earn ESPN Academic All-District III honors

Towson, Md.----Two Wingate University football student-athletes have been named to the 2010 ESPN Academic All-District III football first team (college division), selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Redshirt senior wide receiver Philip Thomas (St. Pauls, N.C.) and senior offensive lineman Ralph Curiel (Tehachapi, Calif.) represent the Bulldogs on the first team. Both student-athletes earn ESPN Academic All-District III laurels for the first time in their respective careers.

            District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina. To be nominated for ESPN Academic All-America® honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or a significant reserve on his 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-one student-athletes were named first team Academic All-District III in football. The first team members will advance to the national ballot.

Thomas is a team captain and gifted receiver on the Bulldog football team. Thanks to the efforts of Thomas and his teammates, Wingate is the number two passing offense (320.8 yards per game) in the South Atlantic Conference. Thomas has 16 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns this season. In 2010, Thomas had four catches in big road victory at West Georgia. He had two catches and a TD in big road victory at Carson-Newman.

In addition to his duties at wide receiver, Thomas is the holder for reigning SAC Special Teams Player of the Week and WU place kicker RP Lopez (Lakeland, Fla.), who has not missed a kick this season (8-8 field goals, 28-28 PATs). A SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll student, Thomas is active in Campus Outreach. Thomas possesses a 3.31 GPA with a Communication Studies major.

            Curiel is a two-year starter at right guard on the Wingate offensive line. This year, the  Bulldogs are second in the South Atlantic Conference in passing offense (320.8 yards per game) and third in total offense (413.1 yards per game). During Curiel’s first year as a starter, Wingate averaged 395.3 total offense yards per game in 2009.

Last year, Wingate was second in SAC in scoring offense (33.6) and passing offense (241.1). In his two years, Curiel has blocked for seven 100-plus yard performances by Bulldog running backs. A SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll student, Curiel joins his teammates every August as a Special Olympics Field Day volunteer. Curiel is a History major with a 3.91 GPA.

            Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 36 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 45 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.