Burke, Thompson Rider Athletes of Year

Here is the long and short of it. The 4'11” Amanda Burke and the 6'11” Jason Thompson were named the Rider University Athletes of the Year for the 2007-08 academic school year.

Burke (Churchville, PA/William Tennent) became the first Bronc to ever qualify for the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) was recently the 12^th player picked in the National Basketball Association Draft, and recently signed with the Sacramento Kings.

Burke won the one-meter and three-meter dives at the ECAC Championships this year and placed second in the NCAA zone Meet.

Thompson was named the Haggerty Award winner as the 2008 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Player of the Year, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the District II Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers and to the First Team All-District 3 team by the National Basketball Coaches. He was also an All-America selection by collegeinsider.com.

Burke placed 35^th on the three-meter at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by Ohio State University, and 39^th on the one-meter. Burke placed second at the NCAA Zone ?A' Regional in Buffalo, New York to qualify for Nationals. She was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships Female Diver of the Meet and the ECAC Championships Diver of the Meet.

Thompson ranked second in the nation in rebounding (12.1), 18^th in blocked shots (2.7) and 29^th in scoring (20.4), and graduated with 2,040 points and a Rider-record 1,171 rebounds. He was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, setting the Rider records for blocks in a season (91) and a career (235).

Thompson led Rider to first place in the MAAC regular season and to the MAAC Tournament Championship Game, earning MAAC All-Tournament Team honors.

Burke led Rider to a second place finish in both the MAAC Championships and the ECAC Championships.

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