Worcester, MA --- Eight members of the WPI Football team were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team this week, as the Engineers improved on their 2007 season both on the field and in the classroom.

Seniors Jay Breindel (Kensington, CT), Jonathan Shoemaker (East Norwich, NY), Michael Toto (Agawam, MA) and Ron Turba (Cincinnati, OH) as well as junior Andrew Abderrazzag (Auburn, MA) and sophomores Aaron Champagne (Fairfield, ME), Patrick Moynihan (Worcester, MA), and Adam Tragellis (Quincy, MA) were honored by the league.  Five Engineers received this distinction in 2007.

WPI went 7-3 during the 2008 season (4-3 in Liberty League play), improving on their 4-6 record from a year ago. The seven wins were the most for the program since the 1992 campaign.  The Engineers were led by Head Coach Ed Zaloom, in his 10th season at the helm of the Crimson and Gray. 

Shoemaker was named to the team for the third straight year, and is carrying a 3.46 GPA while majoring in biomedical engineering. He is the recipient of WPI's Medical Profession Scholarship and is also a member of the Senior Honor Society and the Pre-Med Society. 

Champagne, WPI's starting running back, boasts a 4.00 GPA as a civil engineering major. Both Shoemaker and Champagne were awarded a spot on the ESPN-The Magazine Academic All-District I first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (Co-SIDA).   Both will advance to the national ballot. 

Turba and Toto each made the Liberty League All-Academic team for the second time and just this week Toto was named honorable mention all-conference when the Liberty League annual awards were announced.

In order to be eligible for All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a full year in residence at their institution and carry a 3.2 cumulative grade point average into a season of competition.

The Liberty League consists of eight football institutions committed to academic excellence: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Lawrence University, Susquehanna University, Union College, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, University of Rochester and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Story by Ray Cotrufo - WPI Athletics Intern