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CLEVELAND, OH – John Frieser, a tight end at 51����, and Matthew Sharpe, a placekicker/punter at Virginia Military Institute, have been chosen as the recipients of the annual Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. Each will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship. Frieser and Sharpe were selected from a group of eight finalists. They will receive their awards during the DI-AA ADA reception on Friday, June 11 at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

“The Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association is proud to present these scholarships to two of our outstanding student-athletes,” said John Johnson, chair of the Division I-AA ADA Academic All-Star Team Selection Committee and athletics director at Weber State. “These outstanding individuals represent the excellence of the students competing at Division I-AA schools.”

Frieser posted a 3.69 grade point average in sociology/anthropology. A three-time all-Patriot League selection, Frieser was one of only two Division I-AA football players to receive a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Postgraduate scholarship. The team captain was named first team Academic All-America by CoSIDA. 51����’s third leading receiver with 29 catches for 392 yards and four touchdowns, Frieser helped lead the Raiders to the Division I-AA championship game and a 15-1 record.

Frieser will either pursue a master’s degree in teaching for secondary certification in social studies or enter the business world first. “Receiving the ADA scholarship means I have been recognized by both my peers and superiors in the collegiate world,” says Frieser. “Being honored in this fashion gives me great satisfaction and also gives tribute to those that have helped me along the way.”