Hillsdale’s Mark Nicolet & Wayne State’s Erika Barczak Voted 2007-08 GLIAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year

BAY CITY, Mich. - Hillsdale College football player Mark Nicolet (Zionsville, Ind.), and Wayne State University women's diver Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich./Williamston) were named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) 2007-08 male and female "Scholar-Athletes of the Year," respectively, as voted by the league's faculty-athletic representatives.

Nicolet had great production throughout his career, but put together an outstanding senior campaign. He broke seven different school records en route to leading the Chargers to their best record this decade (8-3). Nicolet threw for a school-record 426 yards in a 49-28 win over Ashland University (Sept. 15, 2007). Two weeks later, he shattered a long-standing school record when he completed 34 passes in a 37-0 home win over Michigan Technological University. He went on to set single-season school records for completions (240), passing yards (3,335), and passing touchdowns (31). His 3,145 passing yards in GLIAC games also broke the conference record for passing yards in one season. The two-time team captain was named GLIAC Player of the Year for his efforts, as well as earning Football Gazette All-America First Team Honors.

Nicolet was the recipient of the GLIAC's 2007 McAvoy Award for outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. He earned a 3.6 grade point average (4.0 scale) while majoring in Financial Management. He was named to the GLIAC All-Academic football team three times and was a four-time member of the Hillsdale College Dean's List. This past season, Nicolet was a semifinalist for the Draddy Award, which is presented to the nation's most outstanding college football student-athlete.

Barczak's election caps off a very successful year for the senior diver. Erika was an art major who maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.97 (4.0 scale) throughout her career for the Warriors. Her hard work also earned her a spot on the 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's At-Large First Team. She was among the recipients of the Winter 2008 GLIAC Commissioner's Award.

Barczak became the first WSU student-athlete since fencer Ettore Bianchi in 1984 to earn a First Team Academic All-America Selection. She is the ninth CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America selection in school history, the first since 1993 (softball pitcher Jennifer Smith). Erika also collected her second consecutive Academic All-District First Team Honor.

This past season, Barczak earned two First Team All-America nods by placing fourth in one-meter diving (408.75) and sixth on the three-meter board (366.85). She helped lead the Warriors to their third straight GLIAC championship and a top-ten national ranking. In her collegiate career, she earned seven All-America accolades, including three First Team All-America honors in three-meter diving.