Three Mountain Hawks named to Academic All-Patriot League team
11/22/2011 8:14:00 PM | Football
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Three Lehigh football players have been lauded for their work in the classroom as senior linebacker Tanner Rivas, junior running back Zach Barket and junior wide receiver Ryan Spadola were all named to the Academic All-Patriot League team, the league announced Tuesday. The three Mountain Hawks are part of the squad of 14 student-athletes who have excelled both on the field and in the classroom.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor. The football Academic All-Patriot League Team has 14 student-athletes to equal one-half the size of the sport's All-Patriot League first team.
Rivas makes his second appearance on the Academic All-League team in as many years as he was named to the inaugural team in 2010. An ankle injury limited Rivas to just eight games so far in 2011, but he has mustered 18 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery this season. A second-team All-Patriot League selection in 2010, Rivas owns a 3.52 grade point average as a finance major and has appeared on both the Dean's List and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in his Lehigh career.Barket and Spadola both add Academic All-League honors to their first team All-League accolades. Both men were also named to the Capital One Academic All-District II teams earlier this month.
A lower leg injury brought a premature end to Barket's season, but the junior tailback continues to lead the Mountain Hawks in rushing with 706 yards and four touchdowns and added five receiving touchdowns in his first-team All-League campaign. Barket enjoyed his best statistical season as a Mountain Hawk, which included three 100-yard rushing games, including a 188-yard, four-touchdown day in a win at Colgate.
An accounting major, Barket owns the top cumulative grade point average on the Lehigh football team at 3.61. Already a two-year letter-winner, Barket has made multiple appearances on the Dean's List and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, and has received Lehigh's faculty athletics council's academic award. Spadola has enjoyed a record-setting season on the field while taking care of his academics off the gridiron. He set a Patriot League single season record with 1,462 yards, while catching 83 passes and scoring ten touchdowns. This season, Spadola enjoyed a 214-yard, three touchdown performance at Princeton and a 13-reception, career-high 216 yard day in a win at Fordham.
A member of both the Dean's List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Spadola carries a 3.33 grade point average majoring in finance.
Bucknell senior linebacker Tim Bolte was voted the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, as voted by the league's sports information directors.
Bucknell senior linebacker Tim Bolte was voted the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, as voted by the league's sports information directors.
Lehigh's three Academic All-League selections are now preparing for Lehigh's second round NCAA Playoff game at Towson on Saturday, December 3. Game time has now been set for 3:30 p.m. with streaming video coverage on ESPN3 and audio coverage on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as Lehighsports.com.
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