PITMAN, N.J. – Thirty William Paterson student-athletes were named to the 2010-11 All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Academic Teams released May 26. Leading the list of Pioneer honorees were a pair of first-team selections in sophomore football safety German Decena (Union City, N.J./Emerson) and senior softball outfielder Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.). Sophomore men's soccer midfielder Kevin Bzdek (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) and senior women's soccer midfielder Kathleen Maggi (New Milford, N.J./New Milford) earned spots on the All-Second Team, while 26 others received honorable-mention laurels.

Decena started all 10 games at safety this fall, tying for the team high with three interceptions while ranking fourth for the Pioneers with 47 tackles (14 solo). Decena added four pass break-ups and a fumble forced. A Dean's List student during each of his first three semesters at William Paterson, he is majoring in sociology.

Mulderig entered the Spring 2011 semester with a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA as a business administration major (marketing concentration). A member of the Capital One/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Softball College Division Academic All-District 2 Second Team each of the last two years, she started all 38 games this spring in center field and ranked second on the team with seven stolen bases and third with five sacrifice bunts while hitting .266 and compiling a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage (66 putouts, four assists). Mulderig attended the 2010 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and was recently named the recipient of the 2011 William Paterson University Cotsakos College of Business Marketing Award. A member of the Dean's List every semester while at WP, she earned spots on the 2007-08 and 2009-10 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-America Scholar-Athlete Squads and the 2008-09 and 2009-10 NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention Teams.

To be eligible for the NJAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior who competed in a conference-sponsored sport during the last year and achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.20.

2010-11 New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Academic Team
First Team
Jillian Mulderig SR Sewell, NJ Softball Business
German Decena SO Union City, NJ Football Physical Education
Second Team
Kathleen Maggi SR New Milford, NJ Women's Soccer Athletic Training
Kevin Bzdek SO Wayne, NJ Men's Soccer Accounting
Honorable Mention
Jessica Bertoli JR Rockaway, NJ Women's Soccer Secondary Education/Mathematics
Kaitlyn Brock SO Paramus, NJ Softball History
Bret Cadena SR Madison, NJ Football Exercise Physiology
Domenick Candelieri JR Pennsauken, NJ Men's Soccer Communications
Victoria Cicak SR Wharton, NJ Women's Soccer Biology/Physical Therapy
Rick DeStefano SO Marlboro, NJ Men's Basketball Professional Studies
Douglas Dudek JR Rockaway, NJ Football Physical Education
Frank Franco GR Wayne, NJ Baseball Business
Michele Graham JR Hawthorne, NJ Softball English
Ryan Gresik SO Newton, NJ Football Athletic Training
James Hamill SR Stanhope, NJ Football Physical Education
Jaimie Hinshelwood JR Forked River, NJ Swimming & Diving Exercise Physiology
Lauren Horowitz SR Hillsborough, NJ Swimming & Diving Elementary Education/English
Nicole Jimmerson SR North Bergen, NJ Softball English
Brett Kuchin JR Cherry Hill, NJ Swimming & Diving Psychology
Michelle Leeder SR Ridgefield, NJ Volleyball Physical Education
John Matthews SO Pennsauken, NJ Football Criminal Justice
Lesly Mendoza JR Passaic, NJ Swimming & Diving Psychology
Michael Merkh JR Egg Harbor, NJ Football Nursing
Amanda Muraca SO Miller Place, NY Softball Chemistry
Mary O'Conner JR Ramsey, NJ Field Hockey Physical Education
Sonja Pedersen SO Rockaway, NJ Women's Tennis Physical Education
Heidi Rogers JR River Vale, NJ Women's Soccer Biology
Sebastian Schrils SO Washington, NJ Swimming & Diving Art
Melissa Szeliga GR South Plainfield, NJ Field Hockey Counseling Services
Jennifer Vitale SR Kenilworth, NJ Softball Elementary Education