Boston, MA - Two Suffolk University student-athletes earned recognition for their performance in the classroom as well as the athletic field this spring. Junior Rory Gentile (Gloucester, MA) of Suffolk Baseball and sophomore Monica Cioffi (East Boston, MA) of Suffolk Softball were both named to ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-District teams by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Gentile was a first-team selection for District 1. Gentile currently maintains a 3.75 cumulative grade point average as a Business Management major in Suffolk's Sawyer School of Management. This season Gentile has been a catalyst for the Rams offense. The centerfielder was named as a first team All-Conference selection by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference as well as being named to the GNAC All-Tournament team for his strong play in helping Suffolk claim the 2009 conference championship. On the season, Gentile is currently hitting .361 with five home runs and 39 runs batted in. He is currently ranked fifth among all NCAA Division III players with 41 bases on balls, while his seven triples rank him number eleven and his 1.39 runs per game average is 34th best in the nation. His 53 runs scored this season is best among the GNAC. The Rams are currently 30-9 and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Cioffi was a third-team selection for District 1. Cioffi currently maintains a 3.725 cumulative grade point average as a Criminology & Law major in Suffolk's College of Arts and Sciences. Earlier this spring Cioffi was named as a second team All-Conference selection by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Batting leadoff for the Rams Chioffi stole 33 bases this spring, which is eighth best among all NCAA Division III softball players in the nation. Her 37 runs scored on the season is fourth among all GNAC players. This season Cioffi started all forty games for the Rams as they finished third in the GNAC with a 22-18 overall record, while going 17-7 in league play.
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSida) selects Academic All America teams in 12 programs: football, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track & field/cross country, women's track & field/cross country, men's at large and women's at large. A first team, second team and third team are selected in both the University (Division I and I-AA) and College (Division II, III and NAIA) Divisions.