FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
THREE CHAPMAN BASKETBALL PLAYERS NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT VIII TEAMS
 
ORANGE, Calif. – Two members of Chapman University’s men’s basketball team and one from the women’s basketball team have been honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and named to the 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII team. Guards Zach Wheatley and Patrick Carney were each named to the men’s first team, while point guard Jessica Kunisaki was named to the women’s second team.
 
For Wheatley, a senior, it’s the third time in his career he’s been recognized by CoSIDA. He earned Academic All-America second team honors in 2005, as well. Wheatley is averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Panthers, who are 17-7 this season. He also leads the team in blocks (22) and is second in assists (54). He has a 3.97 grade-point average in mathematics.
 
Carney, who was named to the All-District second team as a sophomore in 2005, currently leads Chapman with a scoring average of 15.9, including 31 three-pointers. The junior has reached double-digits in scoring 17 times this season, while maintaining a 3.83 GPA in accounting.
 
Representing the women’s team is Kunisaki who has helped the Panthers to a 14-7 record with her playmaking skills. The sophomore point guard currently ranks in the top-five in Division III in assists per game with a 6.9 average. She is second on the team with 10.2 points per game and has recorded two double-doubles in points and assists this season. She has a 3.85 GPA in organizational leadership.

ESPN the Magazine sponsors the CoSIDA Academic All-America team which selects the best and brightest in college athletics. Chapman is a member of the District VIII College Division, which includes Division II, III and NAIA schools from throughout the Western United States.

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