DC Track Places Two on Academic All-District Team

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College's Samantha Higdon and Brad Zarembski were each named as ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-District IV selections. The honor is voted on and announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The award recognizes student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom, as well as on the playing field. In order to be eligible for this award, the athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have reached sophomore status or higher academically, participate in over half of the team's contests and play a key role on the squad.

Higdon is a two-time Academic All-District IV selection, after also claiming the honor in 2008. The junior's career highlights with the Yellow Jackets include provisionally qualifying for the 2008 NCAA Indoor National Championships in the weight throw with a personal best toss of 50-06 and winning the HCAC Outdoor Championship in 2007 in the hammer throw with a distance of 146-04. Higdon is a five-time All-Ohio honoree and boasts one HCAC Field Athlete-of-the-Week award during her time with Defiance College. The Waldron, Ind., native has been equally impressive in the classroom, where she boasts a 3.96 cumulative GPA. Higdon is an accounting major, with a minor in economics.

Zarembski claimed his second-straight First-Team Academic All-District IV honor after finishing 11th in the high jump at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. The junior provisionally qualified for nationals in all three of his outdoor seasons and garnered All-American honors as a freshman. The three-time HCAC high jump champion also provisionally qualified twice for indoor nationals, claimed a pair of All-Ohio Championships and is a five-time All-Ohio award winner. Zarembski followed his First-Team Academic All-District IV selection in 2008 with Third-Team Academic All-American honor and has been named to the USTFCCCA Div. III All-Academic Team in each of the past two years. The Toledo, Ohio, native possesses a 3.89 cumulative GPA in business administration.

Higdon and Zarembski will now each advance to the national ballot, with voting set to begin on Tuesday, June 9 to determine the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America award winners.