Jacoby, Thomas Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II

May 26, 2006

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg wrestling senior Corey Jacoby (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) and red-shirt junior Jamie Thomas (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) were both selected ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II as part of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) awards program.

Jacoby earned a First Team honor this year after being chosen to the Second Team last year while Thomas earns his first selection as a member of the Second Team.

A three-time All-American, Jacoby entered the 2006 season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and despite battling injuries, capped his senior year with a 31-6 record and a second-straight appearance in the NCAA championship match. He totaled 116 career victories, third on the school's all-time list and won the national championship at 197-pounds in 2005 and the East Region championship in 2006.

Jacoby also finished as the NCAA runner-up this year and second for third-straight season at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships while winning his second-straight PSAC Winter Top Ten Award, recognizing student-athletes academically as well as athletically. He graduated on May 13 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a 3.3 grade point average.

Thomas finished as the runner-up at 125-pounds at this year's NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, having won 18 consecutive matches until his loss to Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha in the national championship match. He finished the season with a record of 29-9 and posted a 17-2 dual record while capturing his first East Region championship.

In three seasons with the Red Raiders, Thomas totaled 68 victories and was a three-time All-American. This year, he was ranked No. 1 in the nation at 125-pounds, finished eighth at the prestiguous Midlands Tournament and went 4-1 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Although he still has one-year of athletic eligibility remaining, Thomas graduated on May 13 with a bachelor's degree in finance and a 3.4 grade point average.

Shippensburg finished in third-place as a team at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, the program's highest-ever finish. The Red Raiders, ranked as high as No. 7 in Division this year, graduate five seniors and return one All-American in junior Mark Murphy (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) at 184-pounds while head coach Don Tabar, the NWCA Coach of the Year, returns for his sixth season next year.

CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs: football, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, mens basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track and field/cross country, women's track and field/cross country, men's at-large and women's at-large.

A First Team, Second Team and Third Team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) Divisions. Football consists of just first and second teams. District II consists of colleges and universities in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

As a result of his All-District First Team selection, Jacoby will now be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America honors.

- Red Raider Wrestling -