For Immediate Release: Friday, April 25, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

HALL CHOSEN TO ATTEND NCAA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

EDINBURG, TX-Sophomore guard Matt Hall (Katy, TX/Katy HS) of The University of Texas-Pan American's men's basketball team has received an honor from the NCAA Foundation.

Hall is one of 273 athletes across the nation invited to represent their schools at the 2003 NCAA Leadership Conference, May 25-29, at the Coronado Springs Resort and Walt Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

Hall, a two-year veteran of the Bronc basketball team, was chosen from among 1172 student-athletes nominated by 302 institutions. The student-athletes were selected from NCAA universities and colleges that participate in the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.

Invitations were sent to NCAA student-athletes who have been identified as leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Hall is the president-elect of Texas-Pan American's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and will serve as president next year.

In order to be eligible for the leadership conference, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and must have athletics eligibility remaining in the following academic year. A committee comprised of CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from member institutions and NCAA student-athletes review the nominations to determine the final selections.

"I'm excited about getting such a great opportunity to represent my school at a conference that has so much prestige and honor," said Hall. "We had to fill out applications and write an essay in order to apply, and I was ecstatic when I found out. It's a tremendous experience to network with student-athletes from all over the country and learn some new things. It's something I probably would never have gotten to do if I wouldn't have been involved in SAAC. Hopefully, I can represent our school well."

"Matt Hall is an outstanding choice and will be an excellent representative of the UTPA Athletic Department at the upcoming NCAA Leadership Conference," said UTPA Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Support and Student Services for Athletics Chris Uchacz. "Matt will be the president of the 2003-2004 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the experiences he will bring back from the Leadership Conference will help direct the SAAC next year. I am very proud of Matt, as I am of all of our student-athletes."

"Matt Hall is most deserving of this very prestigious national honor," said UTPA Director of Athletics William J. Weidner. "Matt's selection is a tribute to his accomplishments as a student-athlete at UTPA, as well as to our entire athletic program. On behalf of The University of Texas-Pan American, we congratulate Matt and wish him well as he serves as our institution's ambassador to this very significant event."

Hall will be the fourth Texas-Pan American student-athlete in five years to attend the conference. Cynthia Kasper attended last year, Reggie Kuzet was chosen in 2000, and Gonzalo Gonzalez was selected in 1999.

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