FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, February 10, 2005

CONTACT: Ted Breidenthal 816/474-7264 tbreidenthal@d3independents.org www.d3independents.org

Association of Division III Independents
Names January Student-Athlete of the Month Award Winners

KANSAS CITY, MO.--- Ana Castillo, a forward from the University of Dallas, and Michael Reich, a forward from Colorado College, were named today as the recipients of the Association of Division III Independents Student-Athlete of the Month awards for January.

Castillo, a sophomore from Dallas, averaged 14.3 points per game and 9.6 rebounds in 10 January games (five wins and five losses). She averaged 25 minutes per game, shot 51 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line. Even though undersized as a post player (5’-8”), Castillo recorded five double-doubles (points and rebounds) during the month.

Said head coach Chris Hill, “Ana is constantly matching up with girls bigger than she is and giving them all they can handle.” Castillo is a pre-med biology major with a 3.77 grade-point average.

Reich, a senior biology major from Rolling Hills, CA, averaged 26.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the CC men's basketball team during the month of January. He currently ranks sixth in Division III averaging 24.5 points per game. Reich leads the team in points, rebounds and steals and is second in assists. He is the only player in the program's history to be ranked in the Top 10 for career points, assists and rebounds, and he recently became just the fourth player to amass 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. Reich was named to the all-tournament teams at the Whittier Classic and the Cactus Jam, where he scored a career-high 43 points.

The Association of Division III Independents consists of 17 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in seven sports in 2004-05. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. For the first time, the Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it also will announce all-Independent teams at the conclusion of 11 sports this year.

All student-athletes from the Association’s 17 members were eligible for the award. Each school was allowed to nominate its top performing male and female student-athletes from January. The award recipients were selected after a vote of the Association’s Student-Athlete Recognition Committee.

More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at http://www.d3independents.org.