Val Ackerman, Bernie Kosar and John Stockton Named as Finalists for GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Val Ackerman, Bernie Kosar and John Stockton are among a group of 25 finalists for induction into the 1998 GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame. Four of the finalists will be inducted at ceremonies on June 11.

GTE, in cooperation with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), established the Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor former college student-athletes who have excelled in their professions and have made substantial contributions to their communities. To be eligible, a candidate had to be a GTE Academic All-America Team member who graduated at least 10 years ago.

The finalists were chosen from a group of more than 100 nominees and were selected by a 90-member voting board representing the 1,800 CoSIDA members. Dick Enberg, NBC Sports commentator and spokesman for the GTE Academic All-America program, will serve as master of ceremonies of this year's 11th annual induction. There are currently 47 Hall of Fame members.

Ackerman (Virginia 1981) was a four-year starter in basketball, a three-time captain and two-time team MVP. She is currently the president of the WNBA, a league she helped create and develop.

Kosar (Miami 1985) quarterbacked the Hurricanes to their first national title in 1983, earning MVP honors in their Orange Bowl upset of Nebraska. He retired last year after 13 seasons in the NFL and is presently a sales and marketing executive in south Florida.

Stockton (Gonzaga 1984), the starting point guard for the Utah Jazz and a nine-time All-Star, is the NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals. He was the West Coast Conference MVP in 1984.

Other finalists include: Danny Ainge (Brigham Young '82), a former basketball All-American now coaching the NBA's Phoenix Suns; Chad Hennings (Air Force '88), a former Outland Trophy winner now playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL; Oliver Luck (West Virginia '82), a two-time team MVP at quarterback now serving as president of the World League of American Football; Bernadette (Locke) Mattox (Georgia '82), a basketball star and Georgia's first-ever female All-American in any sport, who is now the head women's basketball coach at Kentucky; and Susan Peters (Massachusetts '80) the school's all-time leading scorer in women's basketball now teaching health and physical education in Westwood, Mass. (a complete list of finalists is attached).

The Academic All-America program was established by CoSIDA in 1952 to honor student-athletes who excel in the classroom and on the athletic field. GTE has been the exclusive sponsor of the program since 1985.

Each year more than 700 student-athletes are selected to men's and women's teams at the University (Division IA-IAA) and College (Division II-III) levels in all sports.

With 1997 revenues of more than $23 billion, GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 17 states; nationwide long-distance and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies; as well as video service in selected markets.

1998 GTE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA HALL OF FAME FINALISTS