Farm Bureau Insurance and ODAC Honor Scholar Athletes

Released on: February 18, 2008, 11:57 am

Press Release Author: Brad Bankston

Industry: Entertainment

Press Release Summary: The 2007-08 Fall sports winners have been selected. They are:

Tom Brower Washington and Lee (Men's Cross Country)
Becca Taylor, Washington and Lee (Women's Cross Country)
Kristina Landis, Eastern Mennonite (Field Hockey)
Jeff Highfill, Bridgewater (Football)
Travis Cober, Virginia Wesleyan (Men's Soccer)
Lauren Askey, Lynchburg (Women's Soccer)
Michelle Kutcher, Randolph-Macon (Volleyball)


Press Release Body: Each year, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
recognizes student-athletes from each of its 22 male and female sports. The awards
recognize student-athletes who distinguish themselves through outstanding classroom
performance and athletics achievement.

Farm Bureau Insurance is proud to help recognize these achievements by presenting
awards to the top male and female athlete in each ODAC-sponsored sport, applauding
the commitment and desire each has shown towards collegiate excellence. The program
culminates when the conference names its top male and female athlete. The Marjorie
Berkley Scholar-Athlete Award goes to the conference's top female and the Harry G.
"Doc" Jopson Scholar-Athlete Award to the top male.

"We believe true achievement involves success gained through hard work and
education," says Matt Smith, marketing manager at Farm Bureau Insurance. "Those are
bedrocks of a bright future and we are proud to help recognize the excellence of
intelligent and talented young people through this partnership."

The sport awards are sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance, and selected by the Sports
Information Director of each member institution. In order to be eligible, the
student-athlete must have a cumulative 3.2 grade point average and have reached
sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her institution. In 2007, Washington
and Lee University senior Ginny Wortham won the top female student-athlete award,
and the top male student-athlete winner was Hampden-Sydney College senior Greg
Smith.

"We are proud of the accomplishments of every one of our student-athletes," says
ODAC commissioner Brad Bankston. "It is especially gratifying to be able to
recognize those who personify the definition of 'student-athlete' through these
awards, and we are proud to be affiliated with Farm Bureau Insurance in this
program."

The 2007-08 Fall sports winners have been selected. They are:

Tom Brower Washington and Lee (Men's Cross Country)
Becca Taylor, Washington and Lee (Women's Cross Country)
Kristina Landis, Eastern Mennonite (Field Hockey)
Jeff Highfill, Bridgewater (Football)
Travis Cober, Virginia Wesleyan (Men's Soccer)
Lauren Askey, Lynchburg (Women's Soccer)
Michelle Kutcher, Randolph-Macon (Volleyball)

The ODAC Board of Directors created the sport-by-sport scholar-athlete awards prior
to the start of the 2003-04 academic year. The conference sports information
directors have selected these honors since their inception, maintaining an equitable
balance of emphasis between athletic prowess and academic achievement. Inaugurated
in 1984 and 1981, respectively, the Marjorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson
Scholar-Athlete Awards are given each May to member college seniors and conference
sport participants who exhibit the highest athletic, academic, and extracurricular
achievements.

ODAC Purpose
Entering its 32nd year, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is one of the
nation\'s largest Division III conferences. The 14-member ODAC, including Catholic\'s
associate status, stands as the second-largest multi-sport NCAA Division III
conference in the country behind the 15-member American Southwest Conference in
Texas. Athletic opportunities at the Division III level provide positive educational
outcomes and growth for participants, as well as other valuable benefits for member
institutions and communities. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) exists to
provide a framework for realizing these opportunities through athletic competition,
guided by our commitment to shared values and bounded by the educational missions
and institutional identities of the respective members. Together, member
institutions strive to foster a climate of excellence and integrity in the conduct
of their athletic programs. For more information about ODAC programs and members,
please visit the ODAC on the web at www.odaconline.com .

About Farm Bureau Insurance
Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company is committed to providing products
that best meet the insurance needs of Virginia's families and small businesses. An
organization with more than 148,000 members, served by more than 100 county offices
throughout the Commonwealth, Farm Bureau Insurance also offers a wide range of
financial planning products and services. Visit Virginia Farm Bureau at
www.vfbinsurance.com.


Web Site: http://www.odaconline.com

Contact Details: Brad Bankston
(540) 389-7373
brad@odaconline.com

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