Marshall University Athletics
Ardo Armpalu Named to Academic All-MAC Squad
3/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Ardo Armpalu Named to Academic All-MAC Squad
3/24/2003
Cleveland, Ohio - Marshall junior Ardo Armpalu was one of six players named to the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball All-Academic Team that was announced today by the conference's Faculty Athletic Representatives.
Armpalu, a center from Rapla, Estonia, and a sports management major, boasts a 3.42 grade point average. Armpalu started in 21 of 28 contests for the Thundering Herd and led the team with 24 blocked shots. He also averaged 7.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game en route to helping Marshall to its fourth consecutive MAC quarterfinal appearance.
A tie resulted in six student-athletes named to the squad. Voting was conducted among the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives.
Leading the way as a unanimous selection was Eastern Michigan's Steve Pettyjohn, a native of Wooster, Ohio. Pettyjohn carries a 3.70 grade point average as a graduate student after compiling a 3.44 GPA as an undergraduate. Pettyjohn helped the Eagles to 14 wins this season, an improvement of eight more victories than last year. He averaged a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game and was third in scoring with 12.1 ppg.
Buffalo's Turner Battle, an honorable mention all-MAC selection earlier this season, was the lone all-MAC team representative. A sophomore with a 3.45 GPA in communications, Turner's 2003 campaign ended after 20 games with a finger injury. Nevertheless, he led the team in scoring (12.7 ppg), assists (91), steals (38) and minutes per game (35.3) in the 20 contests he played in.
Also named to the team, along with Armpalu, were two juniors - Akron's Andy Hipsher and Kent State's Bryan Bedford - and Ball State sophomore Matt McCollom.
Hipsher (3.34/business administration) keyed the Zips' third-place East Division finish, an improvement of three notches from last year, with a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per game and 9.5 ppg. He was also second on the team with 112 assists and 48 steals. Bedford (3.63/marketing) aided Kent State's third consecutive East Division title with his play off the bench in 30 games, averaging 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds a contest. McCollom (3.72/business) led the Cardinals in assists with 77 while appearing in all 30 games.
Pettyjohn and McCollom had also been honored as member of the District V Verizon Academic All-District team earlier this season.
2003 Academic All-MAC Team
Player, School, Cl., GPA, Major - Hometown/High School
Andy Hipsher, Akron, Jr., 3.34, Business Administration - Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban
Matt McCollum, Ball State, So., 3.72, Business - Mt. Zion, Ill./Mt. Zion
Turner Battle, Buffalo, So., 3.45, Communications - Kernersville, N.C./East Forsyth
Steve Pettyjohn, Eastern Michigan, Gr., 3.70, History/Communications - Wooster, Ohio/Wooster
Bryan Bedford, Kent State, Jr., 3.63, Marketing - Racine, Wisc./Case
Ardo Armpalu, Marshall, Jr., 3.42, Sports Management - Rapla, Estonia/Wellston, Ohio/ Wellston High School
