Softball's Jamie Verner, Men's Lacrosse's Ben McDannell and Baseball's Ryan Thompson named to their respective academic squads

RINDGE, N.H. (July 3, 2012) -- A trio of Franklin Pierce University student-athletes were recently named to the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Spring All-Academic Team for their respective sport. The trio included softball senior Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.), men's lacrosse junior Ben McDannell (Morrisville, Pa.) and baseball junior Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta).

Verner was placed on the softball all-academic team after she posted a 3.95 grade point average. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University during the school's commencement ceremonies in May. Verner had a solid final season in Rindge as she posted career highs in batting average (.291) and runs batted in (8). She ranked among the team leaders in batting average, while appearing in 21 games, primarily behind the plate as the catcher.

McDannell earned a spot on the men's lacrosse all-academic squad after he recorded a 3.55 GPA in his major of marketing. He served as a tri-captain for the 2012 Ravens lax squad, which posted the first winning record in program history with a 7-6 mark. A defender, McDannell ranked second on the team with 16 caused turnovers as the Ravens finished in a tie for fifth in the conference standings.

Thompson, who last month was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, was placed on the NE-10's baseball all-academic squad with a 3.77 GPA in his major of mass communication. On the field in 2012, he made 13 appearances on the mound, including nine starts, totaling 57 innings. He posted a 5-2 record with a 3.47 earned run average and helped guide the Ravens to a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament East Regional.

To be eligible for selection to the academic all-conference teams, a student-athlete must have met and/or exceeded the following minimum requirements: 1) participated in at least half of the team's competitions and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale); and 3) completed at least one academic year at his/her current institution. The Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference teams are chosen by a vote of a committee of athletic administrators and Faculty Athletic Representatives (FAR).

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the department's official site at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens).