Sidelines

Gridiron ESPN academic honors

Senior defensive end Aaron Sanders of the UB football team has been named to ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-District team. ESPN's team is made up of 23 Division-I players from New England, New York and Pennsylvania.

This is the second year the marketing major has made the team as he carries a 3.48 grade point average. Sanders' on-the-field excellence includes leading the team with 5.5 sacks and having the second-most tackles for loss with 11 this season. Overall, the senior from Clarence, N.Y. has 24 solo tackles, 13 assists, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

Sanders' Academic All-District nod qualifies him for the national ballot for Academic All-America honors.

All-MAC scholarly accolades

Two members of the women's soccer team were placed on the 28-person Academic All-Mid-American Conference squad. Seniors Anna-Lesa Calvert and Natalia Crofut earned recognition by faculty athletic representatives.

Calvert boasts a 3.71 GPA in psychology and history. The goalkeeper for the Bulls became the first to have back-to-back 100-save seasons in UB history. Calvert also led the conference in saves per game with an average of 5.67 shots coming at her in each contest. This is the second time Calvert has received this recognition. Her first selection was in her sophomore year.

Crofut majors in English and holds a 3.59 GPA. This is a first-time honor for the East Aurora, N.Y. native, who was sidelined with a torn ACL for the final six games of the season. Crofut led the Bulls in scoring with three goals and eight points before being injured, allowing her to surpass 50 career points and 20 career goals. Crofut finished ninth in the UB record books in both categories.