Dec. 31, 2003

CLEVELAND, Ohio. - University of Massachusetts senior linebacker Mark Kimener (Oakton, Va.) was named to the sixth annual Division I-AA Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team by the Athletic Directors Association (DI-AA ADA). The winners were chosen from 93 nominees and announced at the I-AA national championship in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Dec. 19.

Earlier this year, Kimener was named to the CoSida District 1 Academic All-American Team and was the male UMass Fall Scholar-Athlete. He was also named to the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team as a junior and a sophomore, and has earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every year. Kimener has maintained a career grade point average of 3.36 as a Sociology major.

On the field, Kimener, an all-Atlantic 10 second team selection, started all 13 games this season and compiled a team-leading 133 tackles. That total included 90 solo stops, 15 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, four sacks, two interceptions, two pass break ups and one quarterback hurry

UMass finished its season 10-3, went 8-1 in the Atlantic 10, made its sixth appearance in the NCAA Playoffs and finished the year ranked No. 11 in the nation. The Minutemen also won a share of the 2003 Atlantic 10 Conference title for the first time since 1999 (its 19th football conference championship overall), posted a school-record 10 regular season wins, had a school-record eight conference victories and started the year 9-1, their best mark in over 100 years.