SPOKANE, Wash. -- Seven Whitworth football players have been named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII College Division football team, which was published today. There are 23 players on the team.

Cameron Collings (Sr., PK/P, Spokane, Wash. - Mead) and Steve Honeyman (Sr., OL, Kennewick, Wash. - Kamiakin) are repeat selections. Collings was selected in 2004, while Honeyman is a back to back honoree.

Cam Collings	Steve Honeyman	Greg Caster

The other five include linebacker Greg Caster (Jr., Sherwood, Ore. - Sherwood), defensive linemen Peter Clark (Jr., Spokane, Wash. - Mead) and Jermane Easterlin (Jr., Tacoma, Wash. - Bellarmine Prep), and defensive backs Marc Grow (Jr., Warden, Wash. - Warden) and Jay Tully (Jr., Spokane, Wash. - Mead).

Peter Clark	Jermane Easterlin	Marc Grow	Jay Tully

Collings carries a 3.96 grade point average as an athletic training, health and fitness major. Collings has made 6 of 11 field goal attempts, including a long of 40 yards in the 17-13 win at Linfield. He is 32 of 33 on PATs and has averaged 36.4 yards per punt.

Honeyman, one of the 2006 team captains, is an international business and economics major with a GPA of 3.95. He has played both tackle and center for the Pirates this year. He has led an offensive line that has helped the Pirates average 150 yards per game on the ground and given up only 15 sacks.

Greg Caster is tied for second on the team with 50 tackles, including three sacks, and had two fumble recoveries in the win at Linfield. He is a business management major with a 3.65 GPA.

Peter Clark has started every game at defensive end. He has 30 tackles, including four for losses of 16 yards. He has a 3.46 GPA as an athletic training, health and fitness major.

Jermane Easterlin has been the first lineman off of the bench. He has 22 tackles and an interception vs. Azusa Pacific. He is a business management, computer science double major with a GPA of 3.51.

Marc Grow has been Whitworth's nickel back, seeing significant time off of the bench in the defensive back field. He has three interceptions. He is an accounting major with a 3.77 GPA.

Jay Tully is tied with Caster for second on the team in tackles. A strong safety, Tully leads the Northwest Conference in interceptions (6) and passes defended (12). He is an education major with a 3.64 GPA.

This group has helped lead the Pirates to a 9-0 record and top ten ranking (#8 AFCA, #9 D3football.com) heading into the regular season finale against Puget Sound in the Pine Bowl on Saturday.

The Academic All-District VIII teams are selected from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players throughout the western United States. The players are nominated and selected by members of CoSIDA. To be eligible for nomination, a player must be a starter or important reserve with a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and of sophomore standing.

All seven players are now candidates for CoSIDA's College Division Academic All-America football team.