Dec. 12, 2005
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - A total of ten Villanova student-athletes were honored with mention on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area teams, it was announced recently. The academic all-area teams for all fall sports were released following voting by the sports information offices of the 28 area institutions form the Philadelphia area.
The Wildcat football team led the way with three student-athletes earning recognition. Senior linebacker Brian Hulea (Canfield, Ohio) was named the Academic All-Area Football Performer of the Year. Hulea, who is enrolled in graduate school, boasts a 3.67 cumulative grade point average in Education. He was a first team Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection and a first team Sports Network All-American. Hulea became Villanova's all-time career tackle leader in his final game and ended his career with 431 tackles, surpassing the old mark of 429 set by Curtis Eller. Hulea had a league-leading 135 tackles (59 solo, 76 assisted). He registered four tackles for total losses of 16 yards and 1.5 sacks. The team tri-captain also had two interceptions for 21 yards, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Also earning honors from the football team were senior punter Adam James (Marietta, Ga.) and sophomore quarterback Frank Jankowski (Berwick, Pa.). James carries a 3.84 GPA in Finance while Jankowski owns a 3.45 GPA in Secondary Education. This past season Jankowski completed 261 of 421 passes for 3,058 yards and 18 touchdowns. James delivered 47 punts with an average distance of 40.1 yards, including a long punt of 65 yards and 16 attempts that landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Senior outside hitter Celine Nguyen (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.) and junior middle blocker Adrian Semrau (Grafton, Ohio) represented the volleyball team in receiving all-area accolades. Nguyen maintains a 3.835 GPA in Finance and this past season contributed 2.27 kills, 3.07 digs and 27 service aces to a team that went 21-11 and qualified for the Big East Tournament. Semrau was one of the team's most consistent players, averaging 3.23 kills and 0.88 blocks per game while attacking at a .280 clip. She has a 3.964 GPA in Economics.
The women's soccer team placed senior midfielder Kelly Breslin (Medford, N.J.) and defender Patricia Misciagna (Red Bank, N.J.) on the all-area teams. Breslin has a 3.71 GPA in Communications and was tied for the third on the team this season with six points. She scored two goals and added two assists on the season. Misciagna played on both the midfield and on defense, scoring one goal and helping the Wildcats limit their opponents to just 20 goals on the season. Misciagna, a graduate student, has a 3.655 cumulative GPA in Communications.
Junior Lauren Campanelli (Langhorne, Pa.) received a spot on the Field Hockey All-Area team. She had eight goals, 14 assists and 30 points for the season despite moving to the defensive end of the field. She was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and has a 3.859 GPA in Biology.
The women's cross country team was represented by senior Marina Muncan (Pancevo, Yugoslavia). A Chemistry major with a 3.436 GPA, Muncan helped lead Villanova to the NCAA Championship meet. She posted a time of 20:23.5 in the national championship meet and earned All-America honors for the fourth straight year.
Senior midfielder Brett Stassfurth (Gahanna, Ohio) also earned All-Area honors. He scored three goals and registered two assists to finish third on the team with eight points on the season. He also played a role defensively and helped Villanova finish with a 7-7-4 record and a spot in the Big East Tournament.
