No blocking dummies

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 | 5:25 p.m.

Maybe the UNLV football team needs to brush up on blocking and tackling. But at least the Rebels aren't a bunch of dummies.

A total of 16 of Mike Sanford's players made the Mountain West's All-Academic Fall semester team as UNLV finished fourth among the nine MWC schools in scholar-athletes.

Football had 16 wise guys, followed by women's soccer with 13, volleyball with eight and cross country with six.

Jessica Walters, a journalism major (on second thought, maybe she's not that smart) on the volleyball team, topped the UNLV honor squad with a 3.96 grade-point average. She was followed by women's soccer player Rachael Reid with a 3.86 and Omar Clayton, the quarterback on the football team, at 3.81.

BYU topped the MWC with 74 all-academic performers. New Mexico (53), Utah (47) and UNLV (43) rounded out the top four.

The 43 honorees were the most for the Rebels since the formation of the Mountain West.

The list:

FOOTBALL (16): Rodelin Anthony, sophomore, 3.15, political science; Omar Clayton, freshman, 3.81, undeclared; Casey Flair, junior, 3.51, psychology; John Gianninoto, freshman, 3.23, undeclared; Jacob Hales, junior, 3.35, university studies; Shane Horton, freshman, 3.21, undeclared; Mario Jeberaeel, junior, 3.38, university studies; Tate Knutson, freshman, 3.38, kinesiology; Evan Marchal, freshman, 3.12, undeclared; Marquel Martin, sophomore, 3.15, journalism & media studies; Mike McKiski, senior, 3.62, communications studies; Siosifa Moala, junior, 3.51, univeristy studies; Matt Murphy, freshman, 3.51, undeclared; Art Plunkett, junior, 3.14, anthropology; Ryan Wolfe, sophomore, 3.22, kinesiology; Ryan Worthen, junior, 3.31, univeristy studies.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (13): LaChere Anglin, freshman, 3.26, kinesiology; Kathryn Carney, senior, 3.66, journalism & media studies; Amanda Forrester, freshman, 3.75, undecided; Erica Jensen, senior, 3.11, journalism & media studies/psychology; Kelly Labor, sophomore, 3.64,psychology; Brianna Moore, sophomore, 3.28, undecided; Danielle Morin, sophomore, 3.63 undecided; Mackenzie Neely, sophomore, 3.47, hospitality management; Ashly O'Harrow, senior, 3.34, hospitality management; Haley Partridge, junior, 3.5, accounting; Rachael Reid, freshman, 3.86, kinesiology; Armani Rice, senior, 3.06, journalism & media studies; Kristeen Shim, freshman, 3.25, undecided.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (8) : Maria Aladjova, senior, 3.56, psychology; Erin Greenwood, sophomore, 3.64, biology; Kelsey Keeler, freshman, 3.56, kinesiology; Brittani Lumsden, senior, 3.37, secondary education; Lauren Miramontes, senior, 3.11, hospitality management; Samantha Noland, sophomore, 3.27, business administration; Jada Walker, senior, 3.38, physical education; Jessica Walters, sophomore, 3.96, journalism.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY (6): Alexandra Ainsworth, junior, 3.06, hospitality management; Gabriela Benito, sophomore, 3.09, biology; Jessica Heil, freshman, 3.22, biology; Samantha Jennings, freshman, 3.00, kinesiology; Laura Lundin, senior, 3.30, film; Ashley Silva, freshman, 3.25, criminal justice.