BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College senior defensive back/linebacker Nick Zambelli has been named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District Football Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for NCAA Division III schools in District IV for the third consecutive fall.
To be eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America® honors selected by CoSIDA, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.30 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve. District IV in NCAA Division III is made up of schools from Pennsylvania. Moravian has had 50 Greyhounds named Google Cloud Academic All-Americans® selected by CoSIDA including Zambelli making the First Team in 2017.
By making the All-District First Team, Zambelli is now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for Google Cloud Academic All-America® accolades for a second straight year, which will be announced on December 12. There are a total of 14 student-athletes from the Centennial Conference on Academic All-District Teams.
Zambelli is majoring in Economics and Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics at Moravian, and he has a 4.00 GPA. This season, Zambelli , who moved to a hybrid defensive back/linebacker position from safety the last three years, finished fifth on the squad with 54 tackles including 28 solo stops and one and a half tackles for loss. He also had two passes defended including one interception and a forced fumble. Zambelli, who was a two-year captain and four-year starter at Moravian, contributed 218 tackles with 134 solo stops, eight interceptions, 19 passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two and a half tackles for loss and one sack in 40 career games. He was also selected to the 2017 Centennial All-Conference Second Team.
"This recognition is a testament to Nick's dedication in the classroom and drive on the football field," commented Head Football Coach Jeff Pukszyn. "I couldn't be more proud of Nick's accomplishments as a student-athlete over the past four years."
Off the field, Zambelli is the three-time member of the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll and he was selected as both the 2017 Centennial Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the 2017-18 Centennial Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was on the 2017 Fall All-Centennial Conference Team for student-athletes that earn both All-Conference and Academic Honor Roll accolades.
Zambelli also works with the 5 Star Heart project – weekly visits to local middle schools to engage with mentees, monthly mentor session involving a workout and discussion of program material, assist with clean up and remodel of Bethlehem Boys & Girls Club, coaches youths at various one-day camps. He has participated in Read Across America, in the Greyhounds' Be the Match Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive, Moravian's Heritage Day of Community Service, spending time at Traditions of Hanover (retirement facility) for events such as bingo, spring fling and board game night, helping to tutor teammates and working at the Bethlehem Boys & Girls Club.
To view all of the CoSIDA Academic All-District teams, visit https://academicallamerica.com/news/2018/11/15/academic-all-america-announcing-2018-google-cloud-academic-all-district-football-and-volleyball-teams-selected-by-cosida.aspx.
