Student–Athletes Earn C-USA Academic Honors
Robby Heos and Andrew Sendejo of Rice are among 13 student–athletes who were named to the 2007 Conference USA Football All-Academic Team last fall. The all-academic team consists of student–athletes who have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or better and are starters or key reserves on the football team.
Heos, a senior from Pearland, Texas, concluded his athletic career at Rice by starting 35 of the last 36 games at guard. He carries a 3.44 GPA and is majoring in health sciences.
Sendejo, the lone sophomore to be honored this year, carries a 3.47 GPA in kinesiology. He led the Owls with 107 tackles and five interceptions this year."
Both players were named to the All-C-USA second team earlier in2007 in a vote by media members who cover the conference.
A total of six seniors, two juniors, a sophomore and four student–athletes who have received their undergraduate degrees and are balancing football with graduate course work make up the 2007 All-Academic Team.
In the cross country world, Rice senior Marissa Daniels and junior Brett Olson are among 10 cross
country runners who have been recognized by C-USA for their combination of athletic and academic excellence as members of the 2007 Cross Country All-Academic teams. Both are making their second straight appearance on the team.
Daniels, a premed major who carries a 3.8 GPA, was a recipient of a C-USA Academic Medal last spring and was named the conference student–athlete of the year for cross country. She is a two-time Women’s Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American and was a 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American second team. She led the Owls to a record-setting performance while capturing their second conference cross country title in the last three years and a spot in the national rankings.
The Owls won their first NCAA South Regional championship and closed out the season by finishing 16th at the NCAA championships.
Olson, who carries a 3.94 GPA in mechanical and civil engineering, also received a C-USA Academic Medal last spring and was a member of the 2007 ESPN Academic All-District VI team. Last spring, he won the Hubert E. Bray Scholar–Athlete of the Year award conferred by the “R” Association. He was the Owl’s top finisher at the C-USA championships.