January 18, 2000

MARKS, BLOUNT EARN NATIONAL ACADEMIC HONORS

GREENVILLE, SC -- Furman men's soccer standouts Seth Marks and Scott Blount were recently selected to the 1999 NSCAA/adidas Men's Scholar Athlete All-America Second Team.

The Scholar Athlete All America Teams are chosen from all divisions of college soccer and are selected based on athletic and academic achievement. Only juniors and seniors are eligible.

Senior Seth Marks earned his second consecutive Scholar Athlete All-America second team honor. Marks, an international business major with a 3.65 grade point average was one of the Paladins two captains' this season. He was instrumental in leading Furman to a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Marks started 23 matches at defender and tallied five assists. He was a first team All Southern Conference pick and a third team All South Region selection.

Goalkeeper Scott Blount is an economics major with a 3.58 grade point average. Blount was eligible for the award because he is a junior academically, though he was redshirted one season. In his first season in goal, Blount led the conference and finished 11th in the nation with a 0.68 goals against average. Blount was a first team All Southern Conference pick and a first team All South Region selection.

"This is a great honor for both Scott and Seth," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "This kind of award means a lot to our program because it shows the kind of student-athletes that we have here. Furman is a challenging place, both academically and athletically. These two guys as well as several of their teammates are a true testament to the term student-athlete."

Furman's 1999 squad was the most successful soccer team in Furman history and one of the most successful athletic teams in Furman history. Furman also finished the season in the nation's top twenty in scoring (14th), team defense (13th), and winning percentage (2nd). The Paladins finished with a perfect 8-0 Southern Conference mark, won the Southern Conference tournament championship, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

For more information, contact: Chris Colvin