Former University of Oklahoma basketball star Stacey Dales-Schuman and Widener College football standout T. J. Hess have been named the 2001-02 national Verizon Academic All-America Team Members of the Year.

The selections were announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Dales-Schuman, a member of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, is the recipient in the university division, while Hess was recognized in the college division. The annual award was created before the 1987-88 academic year to honor the top student-athletes for all sports.

Dales-Schuman averaged 17 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, leading the Sooners to the Women's Final Four championship game and a 32-4 record, the best in school history. She is the first Oklahoma player to be named two-time consensus all-America and is the only player in school history to finish her career in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and assists. The Naismith Player of the Year finalist graduated with a degree in communications.

A first-round draft choice (No. 3 ove rall) by the Mystics, Dales-Schuman is one of the WNBA's top rookies, averaging 12 points per game and having earned a spot in the league's all-star game.

"Stacey is a special individual who demands the best of herself in every venue," said Oklahoma women's basketball coach Sherri Coale. "We could not be more proud of her achievements and the way in which she handles herself."

Hess, a defensive back, has a perfect grade-point average in accounting and is scheduled to graduate in December. The Division III Defensive Player of the Year led his team to a 12-1 record and a berth in the Division III quarterfinals. A two-time all-American and team captain, Hess spent two years in Brazil on a church mission and was the recipient of a postgraduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame.

"Widener is exceptionally proud of T. J.'s achievements," said Widener President James T. Harris III. "Whether he's in the classroom, in the community, or on the gridiron, T. J. has committed himself to making a real impact. As a result, he is a positive example to his peers and a role model for young people to emulate."

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Verizon Academic All-America program, which was founded by CoSIDA in 1952 to recognize collegiate student-athletes for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the playing field.

The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. Honorees must be varsity starters or key reserves and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.200 (4.000 scale).