Air Force Academy

June 28, 2011

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Air Force baseball's Michael Ceci and Vai Schierholtz were named 2010-11 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award honorees, announced today by the conference office.

Ceci, a junior left-hand pitcher from Marietta, Ga., and a Management major, posted a 3.77 GPA. Just yesterday, Ceci earned his third MW Academic All-Conference honor. This is his second MW Scholar-Athlete award. Ceci ranked fourth on the team with nine starts and 40.0 innings pitched this past season, both career high's. Ceci also set career best numbers with a 5.40 earned run average, 16 strikeouts and two wins.

Schierholtz, a native of Danville, Calif., and a Mechanical Engineering major, also recently graduated with a 3.55 GPA. Yesterday, Schierholtz earned his second-career MW Academic All-Conference honor. The senior started 38 of 45 games played, including 25 starts at shortstop. Schierholtz batted .245 on the season and ranked second on the team with six stolen bases and fourth with five sacrifice bunts.

A total of 581 student-athletes were honored, including 43 individuals who have achieved a 4.00 or higher cumulative grade point average over two or more terms, and 65 student-athletes who were recognized in multiple sports. This year's mark shattered the previous league record of 549 honorees, set in 2008-09. The MW Scholar-Athlete Award is one of the highest academic honors bestowed by the Conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport.