CALDWELL, N.J. – Thirty-four Caldwell University student-athletes were honored for their performance in the classroom as the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards were announced. The Academic Achievement Award recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, have completed a minimum of two years of college level work, and have played an intercollegiate sport during the past year. Caldwell University was one of 158 institutions that participated in the 2013-14 awards program, which honored a record 7,074 Division II student-athletes. Eight member institutions of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference participated, with 278 student-athletes receiving the award.

Caldwell has participated in the award program all seven years of its existence. Seven student-athletes are receiving the award for the third time: baseball players Robert Bennetti (Laurence Harbor, NJ/Old Bridge), Stephen Dodd (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley), Paul Nyitray (Cranford, NJ/St. Joseph) and Thomas Pisano (N. Bellmore, NY/Mepham); women's soccer player Julie Crankshaw (Lanoka Harbor, NJ/Lacey Twp.); Jessica Miller (Stratford, NJ/Winslow Twp.) from the women's track and field team; and men's tennis player James Stark (Wayne, NJ/Hawthorne Christian Acad.). Additionally, baseball player Phil Ragusa (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) is receiving his fourth Academic Achievement Award.

Ten student-athletes are two-time recipients: baseball player Robert Humes (Berlin, NJ/Winslow Twp); cross country runner Dayana Zeballos (Short Hills, NJ/Millburn); men's basketball player Nikola Lucic (Belgrade, Serbia); women's soccer players Lauren Iuliucci (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea) and Ashlee Paknis (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Reg.); softball players Jacklyn Bates (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo), Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda), Kristen Knorr (Monroeville, NJ/Delsea) and Sara Zambelli (West Milford, NJ/West Milford); and volleyball player Erica Harrell (Richardson, TX/Plano East).

"The ADA Academic Achievement Award is a worthwhile program, as it recognizes student-athletes for their excellence in the classroom," said Mark A. Corino, Caldwell's Executive Director of Athletics. "It is not an easy task to achieve at such a high level academically while participating in an intercollegiate sport at the Division II level, and I am proud of the growing number of our student-athletes who have earned such a prestigious honor."

Here are the 34 Caldwell University student-athletes who received the Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award for the 2013-2014 year:

Andrews Barros, men's soccer, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Jacklyn Bates, softball, Waterloo, NY
Santiago Benites, men's soccer, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Robert Bennetti, baseball, Laurence Harbor, NJ
Rachel Berzak, softball, Cypress, CA
Kelsey Blankerts, volleyball, Sylvania, OH
Emily Boehler, women's soccer, Shrewsbury, NJ
Alyssa Calderon, softball, Fontana, CA
Julie Crankshaw, women's soccer, Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Stephen Dodd, baseball, Milford, PA
Kelly Folk, women's soccer, Jackson, NJ
Erica Harrell, volleyball, Richardson, TX
Robert Humes, baseball, Berlin, NJ
Lauren Iuliucci, women's soccer, Franklinville, NJ
Virginia Johnson, women's track and field, Kendall Park, NJ
Brian Kenny, men's basketball, Jackson, NJ
Kristen Knorr, softball, Monroeville, NJ
Nikola Lucic, men's basketball, Belgrade, Serbia
Jessica Marco, women's cross country/track and field, Toms River, NJ
Jessica Miller, women's track and field, Sicklerville, NJ
Paola Moran, women's cross country/track and field, Gijon, Spain
Paul Nyitray, baseball, Cranford, NJ
Ashlee Paknis, women's soccer, Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Noah Pederson, men's soccer, San Jose, CA
Thomas Pisano, baseball, N. Bellmore, NY
Phil Ragusa, baseball, Staten Island, NY
Lisa Rovatsos, women's basketball, Bayonne, NJ
Sarah Schiffelbein, women's track and field, Villas, NJ
Emily Slater, women's tennis, Cliffwood Beach, NJ
Sarina Soriano, women's soccer, San Jose, CA
James Stark, men's tennis, Wayne, NJ
Salvatore Vitello, men's basketball, Bridgewater, NJ
Sara Zambelli, softball, West Milford, NJ
Dayana Zeballos, cross country/track and field, Short Hills, NJ