Six Norfolk State student-athletes were honored for their accomplishments in the classroom as the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) released the 2011-12 Academic All-State team this week.
Senior Rodney McCauley (basketball), juniors Charlotte Armstead (volleyball), Everett Goldberg (football), Rebecca Graff (Tennis) and Jessica Overton (bowling) and sophomore Kent Austin (tennis) represented NSU on the team this year. It marked the second straight year McCauley, Graff and Overton were named academic all-state.
To be recognized, the student-athletes must have been at least a sophomore in class standing during the 2011-12 academic year, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and must have been a starter or significant contributor to their respective team.
Below are the honorees with their sport, 2011-12 classification, hometown and major listed:
- Charlotte Armstead, Volleyball, Jr., Williamsburg, Va., Exercise Science
- Kent Austin, Tennis, So., Greenwood, Ind., Business
- Everett Goldberg, Football, Jr., Mesa Ridge, Colo., Exercise Science
- Rebecca Graff, Tennis, Jr., Bastad, Sweden, Business
- Rodney McCauley, Basketball, Sr., Dallas, Texas, Accounting
- Jessica Overton, Bowling, Jr., Mechanicsville, Va., Elementary Education
Armstead, recently named to the 2012 preseason All-MEAC team, has been NSU's top hitter the last two seasons, including a 2010 campaign that saw her named to the All-MEAC second team. She led the Spartans with 2.85 kills and 0.79 blocks per set in 2011 and is on pace to own the NSU career records for both.
Austin competed at the No. 5 and 6 positions for the men's tennis teams and held a 7-5 singles record in dual matches. He also went 8-12 in doubles, seeing action mostly at the No. 2 position. Austin earned the Rosa Alexander Scholarship at NSU's end-of-year banquet in late April.
Goldberg went 6-of-10 on field goal attempts in 2011, with all of his attempts coming from beyond 40 yards. He hit three field goals from at least 50 yards away and also handled all of the team's kickoffs, averaging 60.4 yards per kickoff last year.
Graff has compiled numerous academic honors during her time at NSU, including being named a Scholar-Athlete by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in 2011. On the court, Graff finished 9-12 in singles play in dual action during the 2012 campaign, as well as 7-11 in doubles. She played primarily at the No. 3 spot in the lineup in singles and at either the No. 1 or 2 spots in doubles.
McCauley started 35 of the team's 36 games this year, averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, but was known more for his lockdown defense. He contributed 49 assists and 30 steals while shooting 39 percent from the floor in helping NSU to the MEAC Championship and an upset of No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA tournament.
The NSU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second straight year, Overton was a regular in the lineup for the bowling team. She averaged 180.7 in 48 games and was one of six bowlers to average better than 180 on the season. Overton was named to the Hampton Roads Invitational All-Tournament team.