Newberry’s Anita Bulcher Named Academic All-American

TOWSON, Md. - Newberry College's Anita Bulcher has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America College Division first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) goes down in history as only the sixth CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in the history of Newberry College. She is also only the third athlete to receive first team honors, joining Katey Satcher who received the honor in 2002 and Laura Marquardt who did so in 2009.

This is the second straight year the women's basketball program has boasted a CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American and Newberry's third CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in the last 12 months.

Bulcher, a standout student in Newberry's psychology department, proved the importance of working hard both on the court and in the classroom in order to excel as a student-athlete.

Bulcher has maintained a 3.96 GPA while averaging a double-double this season and consistently ranking in the top two in the country in rebounds per game (11.8). She also ranks highest in the South Atlantic Conference in both the offensive (112) and defensive (173) rebound categories and ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (.558).

Off the court, Bulcher has served as the Newberry College Student Government Association student body Vice President for the past two years. She has also served as the President of Christians Living Among You and the Honor Council Chairman of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. Despite her various commitments and practice schedule, Bulcher has still earned Dean's List honors every semester since her arrival on campus.

"No one deserves this honor more than Anita," said women's basketball coach Sean Page. "She is an outstanding leader on and off the basketball court. She is the classic example of what a student athlete should be and is a pleasure to coach."

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

2009-2010 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic
All-America Women's Basketball First Team

Name School Class Hometown GPA
Simona Bartkova Dowling Sr. Greve, Denmark 4.00
Janelle Biamonte Felician Sr. Secaucus, N.J. 3.99
Anita Bulcher Newberry Sr. Russia, Ohio 3.96
Katie Wysocky Michigan Tech Sr. Whitefish Bay, Wis. 3.89
Julia Hirssig Wisconsin-Stout Sr. Rochester, Minn. 3.96

All-America Women's Basketball Second Team
Name School Class Hometown GPA
K.C. Blahnik Lakeland Sr. Gladstone, Mich. 3.93
Shelby Bradford Husson Gr. Lee, Maine 3.83
Erin Hollinger Case Western So. Chardon, Ohio 4.00
Johannah Leedham Franklin Pierce Sr. Ellesmere Port, Eng. 3.38
Margo Muhlbauer Buena Vista Sr. Manilla, Iowa 3.75

All-America Women's Basketball Third Team
Name School Class Hometown GPA
Ariel Brough Baldwin-Wallace Sr. Powell, Ohio 3.97
Jessica Canary Indianapolis Sr. Coatesaville, Ind. 3.91
Claire Ely Puget Sound Sr. Walnut Creek, Cal. 3.80
Kathryn Stockbower Swarthmore Jr. Ft. Washington, Pa. 3.76
Sarah Stream Michigan Tech Sr. Ishpeming, Mich. 4.00
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA OF THE YEAR: Julia Hirssig, Wisconsin-Stout