Released on: July 14, 2008, 2:29 am

Press Release Author: Michael Litos

Industry: Entertainment

Press Release Summary: 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.


Press Release Body: Richmond, VA, July 14, 2008 -- Each year, the Old Dominion
Athletic Conference (ODAC) recognizes student-athletes from each of its 22 male and
female sports. The awards honor 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."

This year the top female student-athlete is Lauren Askey, a Lynchburg College
senior. Askey is the first double All-America in Lynchburg women's soccer history.
She earned 2007 NSCAA All-American accolades for her on-field performances as well
as 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors for her scholastic
achievements. Askey earned a 3.98 grade point average and will continue her
education in the Masters of Athletic Training program at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill.

On the men's side, Bridgewater College senior Jeff Highfill and Washington and Lee
University senior Nathaniel James share the league's top male student-athlete honor.

Highfill boasted a 3.85 grade point average while majoring in mathematics with a
minor in business. He was twice named a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-American, earning college division first team honors in 2006 and second team
accolades in 2007. James was twice named golf's ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of
the Year, and recently earned a spot on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine All-District
At-Large first team, making him eligible for at-large academic All-America honors.
James has been accepted to Washington and Lee's School of Law.

In fact, James was named the 2008 recipient of the NCAAs prestigious Byron Nelson
Award. The honor is presented annually to a graduating senior who displays character
and integrity over the course of the student-athlete's entire academic and golf
career. James is the first Division III Player to garner the award since its
inception in 2002.

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)
Drew Prehmus, Hampden Sydney (Men's Basketball)
Amanda Hiltunen, Randolph-Macon (Women's Basketball)
Scott Decker, Lynchburg (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Elizabeth Webb, Washington & Lee (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Amy Roberson, Washington & Lee (Swimming)
Ashley Lovegrove, Randolph (Equestrian)
James Madden, Washington & Lee (Baseball)
Nathaniel James, Washington & Lee (Golf)
Garrett Curran, Lynchburg (Men's Lacrosse)
Emily Frost, Hollins (Women's Lacrosse)
Mandy Dixon, Virginia Wesleyan (Softball)
Scott Decker, Lynchburg (Men's Outdoor Track & Field)
Elizabeth Webb, Washington & Lee (Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Andrew McLeod, Hampden Sydney (Men's Tennis)
Hilary Teeter, Bridgewater (Women's Tennis)

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 33rd 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 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
vfbinsurance.com
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Web Site: http://www.vfbinsurance.com

Contact Details: Contact:
Michael Litos
Virginia Farm Bureau
Richmond, VA
(804) 308-1120
mglitos@yahoo.com
http://www.vfbinsurance.com