Oregon junior center Dan Weaver was named a first-team academic Pacific-10 all-conference choice for the second year in a row, according to an announcement Wednesday by conference commissioner Tom Hansen.
Weaver, who has accumulated a 3.21 grade-point average in accounting, was joined by senior punter Jose Arroyo and sophomore linebacker Jerry Matson on the league’s academic second unit, while quarterback Jason Fife and kicker Jared Siegel earned honorable mention all-conference honors.
Weaver and Siegel were previously named to the Verizon Academic All-District VIII first team in a vote of university and college sports publicists throughout the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Shaq has CLASS
Oregon women’s basketball guard Shaquala Williams was nominated for the second annual Senior CLASS Award.
The Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award is presented to the nation’s senior player of the year for NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball. The award was developed in response to the recent trend of college basketball players leaving school early to turn professional. The list of the women’s “Players to Watch” include players — five of them AP All-Americans last year — from 15 conferences.
Selection criteria is based on a number of factors, the most important being that the recipient must have exhausted their four years of eligibility and have fulfilled their commitment to their respective schools. In addition, the recipient must be working toward their degree, be in good academic standing and be of sound moral character.

Softball recruits three
First year head coach Kathy Arendsen is quickly turning the Oregon softball program into her own, announcing the signing of three players to join the Duck squad in 2004.
Andrea Nyhus (P, White Rock, BC), Kristi Leiter (IF/OF, Lake Stevens, Wash.), and Susanna Barnes (IF/OF, Lake Forest Park, Wash.) have all signed letters of intent to play for the Ducks.
“We are very proud that these outstanding student-athletes have chosen to be our first recruiting class at Oregon,” Arendsen said. “They will make great Ducks. Each comes from a wonderful family, has excellent academic accomplishments and is regarded as among the top softball players in their age group.”

— from staff and wire reports