The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- October 25, 1999

Stinchcomb, Schade win academic honors in fall sports

Former University of Georgia offensive lineman Matt Stinchcomb and Kelly Schade, a softball player from Simpson (Iowa) College, were chosen as the 1998-99 GTE Academic All-America of the Year Team Members for all sports.

The selections were announced following a special committee voting of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Stinchcomb was the recipient in the university (Divisions I-A and I-AA) division and Schade earned the honors for the college (Divisions II and III) division.

Stinchcomb was a two-time all-American at Georgia and a finalist for the 1998 Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman. He also was a two-time GTE Academic All-America team member and was the Oakland Raiders' first-round selection (18th overall) in the 1999 National Football League draft. He suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason and will miss the entire 1999 NFL season.

Schade was one of the top pitchers in the history of NCAA softball. In 1999, she pitched 25 shutouts and recorded 37 wins and 371 strikeouts, all Division III records. She also hurled two shutouts and won four games in the Division III Women's Softball Championship, leading her team to its second national title in three years. Presently a member of the Virginia Roadsters of the WPASL, she graduated with a degree in economics and was also a GTE Academic All-American for two seasons.

To be eligible for the GTE Academic All-America Team, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.200 (4.000 scale). Throughout the 1998-99 academic year, a GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year was named in each of 10 programs (football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's fall at-large and men's and women's spring at-large) in the university and college divisions. Stinchcomb and Schade were chosen from among those 20 finalists.

Previous GTE Academic All-America of the Year Team Members for all sports

Year -- Name -- School -- Sport

1987-88 -- Michael Smith -- Brigham Young -- Basketball

1988-89 -- James Martin -- Penn State -- Wrestling

1989-90 -- Alec Kessler -- Georgia -- Basketball

1990-91 -- Al Parker -- Georgia -- Tennis

1991-92 -- Tommy Vardell -- Stanford -- Football

1992-93 -- Jim Hansen -- Colorado -- Football

1993-94 -- Carl Erikson -- Oberlin -- Tennis

1994-95 -- Rebecca Lobo -- Connecticut -- Basketball

(tie) -- Rob Zatechka -- Nebraska -- Football

1995-96 -- Todd Fuller -- North Carolina State -- Basketball

-- Chris Palmer -- St. John's (Minnesota) -- Football

1996-97 -- Danny Wuerffel -- Florida -- Football

-- Julie Roe -- Millikin -- Basketball

1997-98 -- Peyton Manning -- Tennessee -- Football

-- Brad Gray -- MIT -- Football