Five Jersey Blues athletes are Academic All-Americans

Kyle Dunleavy

It was another successful year for Brookdale Community College athletic teams on the field of play.

Led by the second-place finish at the national championships by Bo Scannapieco's women's softball team, and the third place by Johnny Johnson's baseball squad at the Junior College World Series, Jersey Blues teams were again contenders at all levels of play - conference, region and national. Individual honors naturally followed.

However, the 2005-06 year proved to be a banner academic year for the Brookdale Community College Athletic Department. Equally as impressive as the accomplishments of Brookdale's teams in competition were the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom.

The Brookdale Jersey Blues had five athletes who were named Academic All-Americans, four of whom were given the honor of being Distinguished Academic All-Americans. An athlete who is an Academic All-American has a grade-point average of at least 3.50; a Distinguished Academic All-American has a GPA of 3.80 or higher. Of the five Academic All-Americans, three of them earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while at Brookdale.

Men's tennis player Brandon Breza's 3.76 GPA earned him Academic All-American honors. He graduated from Hamilton High School before attending Brookdale. He received his associate of arts degree with a concentration in business administration this past spring, and will continue school at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in the fall.

Women's soccer player Gina Ciccarelli, an alumna of Monmouth Regional High School, was one of the Jersey Blues' 4.0 students and a Distinguished Academic All-American. She graduated from Brookdale this spring with an associate of arts degree in humanities liberal studies. In the fall, she will continue her education at Monmouth University.

Baseball player Kyle Dunleavy earned a 4.0 GPA in his two years at Brookdale, securing his title as a Distinguished Academic All-American. He is a graduate of Marlboro High School, and received his associate of arts with a concentration in business administration from Brookdale this spring.

His teammate, Nick Mullins, also graduated from Brookdale with a 4.0 GPA, earning him Distinguished Academic All-American honors. He is an alumnus of Brick Township Memorial High School, and received his associate of arts degree in social science from Brookdale. In the fall, he will attend the University of Pittsburgh on a baseball scholarship.

Women's basketball player Christine Silvers is a Distinguished Academic All-American with a grade-point average of 3.93. She is a graduate of Toms River North High School, and received her associate of arts degree with a concentration in business administration from Brookdale this past spring. She plans to continue school in the fall at Montclair State University.

Breza, Ciccarelli, Dunleavy, Mullins and Silvers have set the bar high for the incoming and returning athletes for the 2006-07 academic year.