Danny Ainge, Todd Blackledge and Tracy Caulkins among finalists for GTE Academic All America Hall of Fame; 10th Class to be inducted in Los Angeles

STAMFORD, Conn., March 12 -- Danny Ainge, Todd Blackledge and Tracy

Caulkins are among 26 finalists who are candidates for induction into the GTE

Academic All-America Hall of Fame. Four of the 26, who will comprise the GTE

Hall of Fame's 10th class, will be inducted on May 6 at ceremonies in Los

Angeles.

GTE, in cooperation with the College Sports Information Directors of

America (CoSIDA), established the Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor former

outstanding college student-athletes who have attained high achievement in their

professions and have made substantial contributions to their communities.

The finalists were GTE Academic All-American Team members who graduated

at least 10 years ago. They were selected from a group of more than 100 Hall of

Fame nominees and were chosen by a 90-member voting board representing the 1,800

CoSIDA members. Dick Enberg, NBC Sports commentator and GTE Academic All-

America Teams spokesman, will serve as master of ceremonies at this year's Hall

of Fame induction.

Among the finalists are Olympic gold medalists; NCAA, NFL and NBA

champions; NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients; and an Orange Bowl MVP.

They also include leaders from the worlds of medicine, business and sports.

Ainge (Brigham Young University, '82) was a basketball All-America and

two-time NBA champion who also played baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays while

still attending BYU. The 1981 John Wooden Award winner as college basketball's

top player, Ainge had a 13-year NBA career with Boston, Sacramento, Portland and

Phoenix. A former TV analyst, he now serves as the Suns head coach.

Blackledge (Penn State, '83) won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's

top quarterback in 1982, the year he led the Nittany Lions to their first-ever

national championship. Drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs in

1983, he enjoyed a seven-year NFL career with the Chiefs and Steelers. A

successful broadcaster, he is currently ABC's top college football studio

analyst.

Caulkins (Florida, '85) ranks as one of history's greatest swimmers.

While at Florida she won 12 individual NCAA titles and four relay titles. She

was a triple Gold Medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (200 IM, 400 IM and

400 MR), and a five-time world record holder. She currently lives in

Queensland, Australia, where she is a swimming coach and women's sports

executive.

Other finalists -- all with a college GPA of at least 3.00 -- include

Cris Collinsworth (Florida, '81), a three-time all-Southeastern Conference wide

receiver who graduated in the top five in school career receptions, yardage and

touchdowns; Tim Green (Syracuse, '86) a two-time All-America defensive lineman

who was drafted in the first round by Atlanta in 1986 and went on to have a

successful eight-year career with the Falcons; and Bernie Kosar (Miami, '84),

who quarterbacked the Hurricanes to the 1983 national championship, and

established 22 single game, season and career records at Miami before moving on

to a successful NFL career.

Also, Sheila Cornell (UCLA, '85), a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Gold

Medal softball team; Megan Donnelly (Massachusetts, '86), a four-time All-

America field hockey player and a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team; Tim

Foley (Purdue, '70), a three-time All-Big Ten defensive back who starred on two

Miami Super Bowl championship teams; and Jack Sikma (Illinois Wesleyan, '77), an

NAIA All-American who played 14 years in the NBA. (A complete list of finalists

is attached.)

"GTE established the Hall of Fame to recognize the achievements of those

former student-athletes who have become leaders in society," said Charles R.

Lee, GTE chairman and chief executive officer.

"I have often said that the GTE Academic All-American Team members are

the true All-Americans and that those who make it to the Hall of Fame should be

congratulated for continuing to strive for even greater achievement after they

have graduated from college," said Enberg.

"Membership in the GTE Hall of Fame is the greatest honor a student-

athlete can earn," said CoSIDA president Jim Vruggink, the athletic public

relations director at Purdue University.

GTE and CoSIDA named 40 people to the GTE Academic All-America Hall of

Fame from 1988-96. There also have been three honorary inductees. (A complete

list of Hall of Famers is attached.)

The Academic All-America Teams program was established by CoSIDA in 1952

to honor those college student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on

the athletic field. GTE has been the exclusive sponsor of the program since

1985.

Each year, 684 student-athletes are selected to five men's teams

(football, basketball, winter at-large, baseball and spring at-large) and five

women's teams (volleyball, basketball, winter at-large, softball and spring at-

large) at the University (Division IA-IAA) and College (Division II-III) levels.

GTE, one of the largest publicly held telecommunications companies in

the world, is the largest U.S.-based local telephone company and a leading

cellular service provider -- with wireline and wireless operations that form a

market area covering about one-third of the country's population.

To extend its support of college athletics, GTE has recently become the

Telecommunications Consultant to the NCAA as well as the Pacific-10, Big Ten and

Big 12 Conferences.

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40(97)

1997 GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame Finalists

AT-LARGE

Tracy Caulkins-Stockwell, Florida '85, swimming coach, Australia

Megan Donnelly, Massachusetts '86, field hockey coach, Belchertown, Mass.

Dr. Ellen Mayer-Sabik, Cornell '84, physician, Shaker Heights, Ohio

BASKETBALL

Danny Ainge, Brigham Young '82, NBA coach, Gilbert, Ariz.

Dr. Peter Anderson, Jamestown '81, physician, Glen Carbon, Ill.

Carol Arnosti, Lawrence '84, college professor, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Tom Clark, Mt. Vernon Nazarene '87, computer software exec., Gresham, Ore.

Jeannie Henningsen, Buena Vista '87, retired teacher, Plattsmouth, Neb.*

Dr. Karen Hiznay Rizzo, Villanova '81, physician, Lancaster, Pa.

Bernadette Mattox, Georgia '82, college basketball coach, Lexington, Ky.

Lynn Norenberg, William & Mary '81, sports adm., Colorado Springs, Col.

Susan Peters, Massachusetts '80, physical education teacher, Rosindale, Mass.

Jack Sikma, Illinois Wesleyan '77, restaurant executive, Medina, Wash.

Misty Thomas, UNLV '86, basketball coach, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Dr. Joan Thornton, Niagara '80, physician, Syracuse, N.Y.

FOOTBALL

Todd Blackledge, Penn State '83, sportscaster, North Canton, Ohio

Cris Collinsworth, Florida '81, sportscaster, Southgate, Ky.

Harry Ecker, Georgia Tech '57, engineering executive, Atlanta, Ga.

Thomas (Tim) Foley, Purdue '70, management company president, Travares, Fla.

Dr. John Fowler, Jr., UCLA '78, teaching doctor, Izmir, Turkey

Timothy Green, Syracuse '86, sportscaster/author, Skaneateles, N.Y.

Mark Kelso, William & Mary '85, self employed, East Aurora, N.Y.

Bernie Kosar, Miami '85, NFL player, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Mike Phipps, Purdue '70, insurance executive, Pompano, Fla.

SOFTBALL

Sheila Cornell, UCLA '85, physical therapist, Diamond Bar, Calif.

Tracy Warren, Trenton State '87, sportscaster, Marlton, N.J.

* GTE Academic All-American Team Members in Basketball and Softball

GTE Academic All-American Hall of Fame Members

Class of 1988

Bill Bradley (Princeton, '65)

Pete Dawkins (Army, '59)

Pat Haden (USC, '75)

Tom McMillen (Maryland, '74)

Rev. Donn Moomaw (UCLA, '54)

Merlin Olsen (Utah State, '62)

Class of 1989

Carlos Alvarez (Florida, '72)

Willie Bogan (Dartmouth, '71)

Dr. Steven Bramwell (Washington, '67)

Joseph Romig (Colorado, '63)

Dr. Jim Swink (TCU, '57)

John Wilson (Michigan State, '53)

Class of 1990

Steve Taylor (Delaware, '77)

Joe Theismann (Notre Dame, '71)

Howard Twilley (Tulsa, '68)

Jamaal Wilkes (UCLA, '74)

Lester Jordan**

Class of 1991

Terry Baker (Oregon State, '62)

Joseph Holland (Cornell, '78)

Dr. David Joyner (Penn State, '72)

Brock Strom (Air Force, '59)

Class of 1992

Alan Ameche (Wisconsin, '55)

Stephen Eisenhauer (Navy, '54)

Randy Gradishar (Ohio State, '74)

Lynette Woodard (Kansas, '81)

GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame

Class of 1993

Raymond Berry (Southern Methodist, '55)

Dave Casper (Notre Dame, '74)

Jim Grabowski (Illinois, '66)

Kermit Washington (American, '73)

Class of 1994

Anne Donovan (Old Dominion, '83)

Dr. Rich Mayo (Air Force, '61)

Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma, '75)

Bill Walton (UCLA, '74)

John Wooden**

Class of 1995

Doug Collins (Illinois State, '81)

Bob Elliott (Arizona, '77)

Michelle Johnson (Air Force, '81)

Pat Richter (Wisconsin, '64)

Class of 1996

Wade Mitchell (Georgia Tech, '57)

Ron Perry (Holy Cross, '80)

Robert Thomas (Notre Dame, '74)

Dr. Carlton Young (Villanova, '83)

Hon. Byron White**
** Honorary inductee