WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Dec. 3, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Downtown Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club announces that Jim Jones of Widener University (PA), Chuck Moore of Mount Union College (OH) and Tony Racioppi of Rowan University (NJ), are the three finalists for the 2001 Melberger Award. Moore is the third player from Mount Union to be named a finalist for this prestigious national recognition. The winner will be announced at the ninth annual awards banquet on Saturday, January 19, 2002 at the Woodlands Inn and Resort, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
The trio was selected by a national panel of 62 sports media experts. Sixty- eight nominations from 22 states were made by Division III coaches and sports information directors.
In addition to The Melberger Award, the Club will also present the John J. Chwalek National Championship Trophy to the winner of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, Division III's championship game. The game will take place on Saturday, December 15 in Salem, Va. The trophy is named after John J. Chwalek, founder of the Club, who died in 2000.
Jones, a 6'2" 200-lb. senior wide receiver from Wilmington, Delaware, in addition to being a Melberger finalist, will also receive the 2001 Middle Atlantic Conference Most Valuable Player of the Year at this year's awards banquet. He is the first player in Widener history to go over 1,000 yards receiving in a season and the only player in the Pioneer's history to go over 1,000 yards receiving multiple times in a career. Jones led the team in scoring this season with 20 touchdowns (11 receiving, 8 rushing, 1 return), caught 58 passes for 1,037 yards and had five 100+ yard games. Jones is a three-time MAC All-Star First Team member and a two-time All American.
Moore is the third Purple Raider to be a finalist for The Melberger and the first non-quarterback from the school to earn this recognition. Jim Ballard won the inaugural Melberger in 1993 and Bill Borchert is the only two-time winner earning the honor in 1996 and 1997. Moore, a 6' 205-lb. senior running back from Mogadore, Ohio, rushed for 1,351 yards on 181 attempts and 18 touchdowns during his final season. He also caught 26 passes for 289 yards and five touchdowns and had six kick returns for 264 yards and one touchdown. Named the MVP of the 2000 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, he is the Purple Raiders' all-time leading rusher with 3,942 yards and is MTU's and the Ohio Athletic Conference's all-time leader in touchdowns with 77 and in scoring with 462 points. He is a three-time First-Team Academic All-OAC selection and a 2000 Verizon First Team Academic All-American selection. Mount Union plays St. John's University in this weekend's Division III playoff competition.
Racioppi, a 6'2' 220-lb. junior quarterback from Tinton Falls, NJ, will lead the Profs of Rowan University in the national Division III playoffs this weekend against Bridgewater College. This season, Racioppi completed 204 of 362 pass attempts for 3,097 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also rushed for an additional 290 yards and four touchdowns. He broke his own school record for touchdowns in a game with seven, set the school record for yards passing in a single season and broke the school record for touchdowns in a season. He was recently named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for 2001 and to the All-Conference First Team.
The Melberger Award is a replica of an old-style leather football helmet crafted of anthracite coal and mounted on a coal base. Anthracite is indigenous to the northeastern region of Pennsylvania. It takes a month to complete the award that weighs more than 55 pounds. In addition to the trophy, the Club makes a gift to the general scholarship fund of the finalists' schools in their names with the stipulation that at least half of the money be used for the assistance of minority students.
The Downtown Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club was founded in 1991 to promote and honor the student-athletes and coaches of Division III football. For more information about the Club or the Melberger Award banquet, please call 570-288-5313 or visit www.melbergeraward.org