July 18, 2005

DETROIT - Three former Wayne State University student-athletes have been selected to receive an NCAA Division II Degree-Completion Award program for 2005-06. Selected were swimmer David Lutz (Rochester Hills, Mich.), football player Jon Herstein (Fenton, Mich.) and volleyball player Toni Purgatori (Yale, Mich.).

The purpose of the Division II Degree-Completion Award program is to financially assist deserving student-athletes with completion of a first baccalaureate degree.

The selection process for the national award emphasizes the academic performance of the student-athlete. Other factors considered are financial circumstances, athletic achievement and involvement in campus and community activities.

To qualify, a student-athlete must have exhausted athletic eligibility; shall not be participating in another intercollegiate sport; must have received athletics-related financial aid from the institution; must be within 30 semester hours of completion of first undergraduate degree; and must have at least a 2.50 cumulative grade-point average. The award is limited to student-athletes during their first 10 semesters of full-time collegiate attendance.

Lutz, the 2005 GLIAC Swimmer of the Year, is also the first two-time WSU/EDS Student-Athlete of the Year. A civil engineering major, he was named to the Academic All-America third team last month and concluded his collegiate career as a 14-time All-American in the pool. Lutz has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.5+) six times and the Coach's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.0-3.49) twice.

Herstein earned three letters and made 22 career starts on the offensive line with the Warrior football squad. A secondary education major, he was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.5+) four times and the Coach's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.0-3.49) once. Herstein was the recipient of the WSU Alumni Association Student Leader scholarship.

Purgatori played the final two years in college at Wayne State earning GLIAC All-Academic team honors as a senior. She is enrolled in pre-law with a criminal justice major and was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.5+) for three times and the Coach's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.0-3.49) once during her four semesters at WSU.