Fordham University junior outfielder Erin Brooks (Norwich, NY/Norwich) and junior designated hitter Joe Ciccone (Rye Brook, NY/Port Chester) were named First Team Verizon Academic All-District 1 as selected by the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA) it was announced today. The team is selected by a vote of the district??s Sports Information Directors. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve and have a 3.2 gpa for his/her entire career. Brooks, who will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-America? consideration, is a major part of Fordham University??s softball success in 2003. She is hitting .324 (56-173) with ten doubles, two triples, 14 RBI and 12 stolen bases. She leads the Atlantic 10 in hits with 56 and leads the team in triples, runs scored (33) and stolen bases. Brooks is also among the league leaders in triples (second), stolen bases (fourth) and runs (fifth). After a 14-43 record last season, Fordham has had one of the most improved seasons in NCAA history. The Rams are 37-17, the first winning season in Fordham??s 19-year softball history, entering their first ever Atlantic 10 Tournament at Massachusetts on May 8th. Their 24 ? games improvement from a year ago ties them for the fourth best single season turnaround in the NCAA. Only UCLA in 1999 (33 games), Tulsa in 1999 (30 ? games), and Prairie View in 1998 (27 games), had a better single season turnaround. Ciccone, who will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-America? consideration, is hitting .344 (33-96) with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 20 RBI while stealing three bases in four attempts and scoring 24 runs. He leads the team in average and doubles while being second on the team in triples. Ciccone is also sixth in the Atlantic 10 in doubles while he has nine multiple-hit games, including a five-hit game, and seven multiple-RBI games, including a four-RBI game. The Rams are 15-25 on the year, with a three-game Atlantic 10 series scheduled this weekend at St. Bonaventure.