Thirty-three student-athletes, including 12 who earned first-team honors, highlight the 2003 Gateway Conference all-academic team, announced by the league office today.

Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions (freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

2003 Gateway Academic Team
(voting by league SIDs)

FIRST TEAM
DT Tom Brillhart, INS, Jr., 3.43 Social Studies Educ.
PK Stephen Carroll, ILS, Jr., 3.53 Business
OL Perry Cox, WIU, So., 4.00 Management
WR Eddie Galles, UNI, Sr., 3.46 Biology
PK Justin Langan, WIU, Jr., 3.59 Pre-Med, Biology
QB Russ Michna, WIU, Gr., 4.00-Gr., Business Admin.
QB Tom Petrie, UNI, Jr., 3.67 Biology
OL Marc Phillips, INS, Jr., 3.96 Social Studies Educ.
LB Lee Russell, WIU, Sr., 3.06 Biology
QB Joel Sambursky, SIU, So., 3.51 Finance
RB Jake Shields, INS, Jr., 3.34 Physical Educ.
FS Scott Thiessen, YSU, Sr., 3.59 Special Educ.

SECOND TEAM
P Brian Claybourn, WKU, Jr., 3.17 Marketing
OT Ben Deike, UNI, Sr. 3.10 Technical Education
LB Justin Dellarose, YSU, Sr. 3.12 Health
FB Chris DiMauro, YSU, Sr. 3.30 Int. Language Arts
OC Brad Durham, SMS, Jr., 3.48 Middle School Educ.
OL Fred Freitag, INS, Jr., 3.36 Radio/TV Film
FB Kris Karagory, INS, So. 3.55 Fitness, Ex. Science
DE Kyle Mitchell, INS, So., 3.00 Criminology
WR Casey Rooney, WKU, Sr., 3.04 Social Studies
OC John Schabilion, UNI, So., 3.88 Computer Science
LB Royal Whitaker, SIU, So., 3.44 Undecided

HONORABLE MENTION
Illinois State: DB Pete Holak
Indiana State: P Pat Jordan
UNI: OG Ross Bohner
Southern Illinois: CB Brad Brachear, TE Chris Kupec
Western Illinois: WR Reggie Gray
Western Kentucky: LB Karl Maslowski
Youngstown State: TB Mike Burns; TE Shawn Carlson, WR Kyle Smith