Dec. 12, 2005

PLANO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin's Rodney Joseph has been named the men's Hibernia Bank Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year in the Southland Conference, Southland Conference officials announced Monday. This is the second consecutive year for Joseph to win the award.

Joseph, a junior, is a biology major with a 3.54 cumulative grade point average. At this year's Southland Conference Cross Country Championships, he finished ninth to earn all-conference honors while helping the Lumberjacks to their fifth consecutive conference crown. The Decatur, Texas native was also an all-conference selection in 2004, when he finished fifth.

Joseph is a two-year member of SFA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity projects and is involved in the SFA Big 'Jacks Mentoring program in Nacogdoches.

The student-athlete of the year award is annually presented to the individual in each conference sport who achieves excellence in academics and athletics. Nominees must have earned at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average to go along with superior achievements in athletics.

- SFA -