June 11, 2002

BALTIMORE, Md. -- P.J. DiConza (Manhasset, NY/Manhasset), a senior defenseman on the 2002 Johns Hopkins University men's lacrosse team, has been named to the 2001-02 Verizon Academic All-America University Division At-Large Second Team, it was announced today. DiConza, who previously was named a First Team Verizon District II Academic All-American, is the first Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse player since 1996 to be named to the national team.

DiConza graduated with a 3.62 cumulative grade point average and earned a degree in sociology from Johns Hopkins. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and he was previously inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key National Honor Society. He has completed internships with a circuit court judge and a law firm and will attend Fordham Law School in the fall. He is also currently a candidate for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

As a member of the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team, he was instrumental in the Blue Jays' 12-2 record and top seed in the 2002 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship. A Third Team STX/USILA All-American, he started all 14 games on defense during the 2002 season and anchored a unit that was among the best in the nation in scoring defense (8.43 goals allowed per game). A team captain, DiConza had 28 ground balls to his credit and helped Johns Hopkins finish the regular season ranked number one and earn the top seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.

Of the 45 athletes named to the team, DiConza was one of just four lacrosse players who earned the honor, while he was also one of just four athletes from District II (athletes from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia).

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