June 11, 2002

STAMFORD, Conn. - Graduate student nordic skier Pietro Broggini (Gallarate, Italy) has been named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America? Men's At-Large Team as selected by members of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), it was announced today.

It is the second consecutive year that Broggini has earned the honor. He will earn his MBA later this summer with a 3.743 grade-point average. Over the course of his three-year career at Denver, Broggini earned All-America honors in all six of his NCAA Championship races while winning the 2000 and 2001 NCAA freestyle and 2000 classical titles. He was also the University's Male Athlete of the Year in 2000-01.

The Verizon Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who are named to district teams prior to being voted upon the national level. The At-Large team represents scholar-athletes from the sports of crew, gymnastics, skiing, fencing, ice hockey, swimming, water polo, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, golf, and rifle.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Verizon Academic All-America? program, which was founded by CoSIDA in 1952 to recognize collegiate student-athletes for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the playing field. Over the past 50 years, the Verizon Academic All-America program has grown into one of the most recognized and prestigious collegiate scholar-athlete awards nationwide, honoring student-athletes from all NCAA championship sports.

Under an agreement with CoSIDA, Verizon, formerly GTE, has been the exclusive sponsor of the Academic All-America program since 1985. Verizon, America's literacy champion, strongly believes that literacy is a key ingredient to success and outstanding achievements in life. The Academic All-America program is an integral part of Verizon Reads, the company's national campaign to promote literacy through corporate philanthropy, partner collaboration, community outreach, and customer and employee participation.