Two Buckeyes Honored on Verizon Academic All-District IV Team – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 22, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio-Gymnast Jamie Natalie (Sr., Hockessin, Del.) and cross country runner Derrick Butler (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) were honored on the 2001 Verizon University Division Men’s Fall/Winter Sports At-Large Academic All-District IV Second Team today for their stellar performances in the classroom and their exceptional actions within their particular sport.
The district team is composed of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a starter or play a significant role in their team’s performance and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors of America within the district. Student-athletes, meeting both requirements, from the fall/winter sports of cross country, fencing, gymnastics, ice hockey, rifle, skiing, soccer, swimming, water polo and wrestling were considered.
Natalie, an exercise science major and senior gymnast, maintains a 3.57 grade point average and is ranked in the Top 20 in all six events and the all-around. He is the defending NCAA all-around and floor exercise champion and was a 2000 U.S. Olympic Team alternate. Natalie was the 2000 OSU Male Athlete of the Year and a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and CGA Academic All-American. He has made the Dean’s List five times and is an NCAA post-graduate scholarship nominee.
Butler carries a 3.95 grade point average and was an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2000. The sophomore is a chemical engineering major and competed in every meet this past season. He placed fifth at the Miami (Ohio) Fall Classic Sept. 23 with a time of 26:19. He set his personal best time of 25:08 at the Big Ten Championships, where he finished 28th.
Verizon Academic Second Team All-District IV Selections Name School Year Sport Hometown Major Derrick Butler Ohio State Soph. Cross Country Cincinnati, Ohio Chemical Engineering David Gove Western Michigan Senior Ice Hockey Centerville, Mass. Finance Chris McAlpine Kentucky Junior Soccer Centerville, Ohio Management Jamie Natalie Ohio State Senior Gymnastics Hockessin, Del. Exercise Science Lance Asti Tennessee Senior Swimming West Bloomfield, Mich. Child Development Nate Ontrop Toledo Junior Cross Country Fort Recovery, Ohio Industrial Engineering Mark Wilkinson Western Michigan Senior Ice Hockey Farmington, Mich. Pub. Law/Crim. Justice Steve Cromer Tennessee Senior Swimming Salem, Va. Political Science Stephen Gordon Tennessee Tech Soph. Cross Country Jackson, Tenn. Mechanical Engineering John Benoist Michigan State Senior Soccer St. Louis, Mo. Supply Chain Mgmt.
