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Dec. 2, 2008

PULLMAN, Wash. - Led by first-team honorees Matt Mullennix and Chima Nwachukwu, the Washington State University football team placed 15 student-athletes on the Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic Team, the conference announced today.

Mullennix, a sixth-year senior defensive end from Spangle, Wash., was named to the all-academic first team for the second straight year. He was also named All-Academic Second Team in both 2005 and 2006. Mullennix, who started each of WSU's 13 games this season, was one of only eight student-athletes receiving a repeat selection on the first team. Mullennix, who boasts a 3.30 grade-point-average in management and operations/psychology, recorded 50 tackles on the season, including four tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.

Nwachukwu, a sophomore safety from Allen, Texas, received his first recognition on the Pac-10 All-Academic Team. He appeared in each of WSU's 13 games this season, registering 57 tackles. Nwachukwu owns a 3.63 GPA in political science.

Garnering second team accolades were seniors Matt Eichelberger and Adam Hineline and sophomores Joe Eppele and Micah Hannam.

Eichelberger, a defensive tackle from Bellingham, appeared in 12 games for the Cougars this season, registering 19 tackles and 1.5 TFLs. Also named Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention in 2007, he owns a GPA of 3.14 in sociology.

Hineline received his first recognition from on the all-academic team. The defensive tackle from Bellevue played in 11 games this season, recording eight tackles and one TFL. Hineline owns a GPA of 3.11 in communication.

Eppele garnered second team honors for the second consecutive year. The offensive tackle out of Vancouver, British Columbia, boasts a 3.54 GPA in psychology.

Redshirt junior center Kenny Alfred (Gig Harbor), redshirt freshman guard Steven Ayers (Bellingham), sophomore wide receiver Daniel Blackledge (Colorado Springs, Colo.), redshirt sophomore offensive guard Brian Danaher (Colfax), senior tight end Devin Frischknecht (Ephraim, Utah), sophomore linebacker Hallston Higgins (Magnolia, Texas), junior defensive end Kevin Kooyman (Maple Valley), senior offensive tackle Vaughn Lesuma (Laie, Hawaii) and senior tight end Ben Woodard (Cheney) were each named Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention.

Alfred and Kooyman were each also named honorable mention all-academic in 2007.