ALFRED, NY — Mike Berardi (Wellsville, NY/Wellsville), a senior free safety on the Alfred University football team, has earned academic honors from the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).
                
Berardi was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 honoree, CoSIDA announced Thursday. District 3 is made up of colleges and universities in New York State. It is the second straight year Berardi has earned All-District 3 honors from CoSIDA. As an all-district honoree, he is now eligible for consideration for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors; CoSIDA will announce its Division III Academic All-American teams Dec. 1.
                
The CoSIDA academic honors program takes into consideration excellence in the classroom and on the playing field. Student-athletes are eligible if they have a grade point average of at least 3.30. Berardi, a mechanical engineering major, has a cumulative GPA of 3.37.
                
Berardi has been a letterwinning defensive back for the Saxons each of his four years at AU, starting the last three. Despite missing two games to injury this year, he still ranks sixth on the team in tackles, with 38 (one for loss) and is tied for third in pass breakups (four).
                
The Saxons are 6-2 overall and 4-2 in Empire 8 play, with two conference games left to play. AU is in action next on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. against Utica College before wrapping up the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. at St. John Fisher College.