June 24, 2005

Duquesne University distance runner Ryan Bender (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-America First Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is the third Duquesne student-athlete to be named to a CoSIDA national team this academic year, joining Noah Salsi (soccer) and Steve Maiolo (baseball).

Bender, a four-time All-Conference cross country performer with a 3.87 GPA in pharmacy, finished fourth at the 2004 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships. He also won a sliver medal in the 10,000 and placed fifth in the 5000 at the 2005 A-10 Outdoor Track Championship. He was the only runner to finish among the top five in both events. Bender was named the Atlantic 10 Student Athlete of the Year in both track and cross country and is now a three-time Academic All-American.