Feb. 8, 2007

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University men's basketball player Mitch Henke was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII today in recognition of his success on the basketball team and his excellence in the classroom at Santa Clara. Henke has helped the Broncos get off to their best start since 1997-98 at 17-7, scoring 7.0 points and grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game. He also has a cumulative 3.74 GPA and earned a perfect 4.0 in the fall quarter as a finance major.

"It feels good to be recognized for my hard work in both areas," said Henke. "I try to have a good balance between both areas of my life. Right now on the court my biggest goal is for the team to finish strong and hopefully win the conference."

Henke has scored in double figures eight times this season, including a season high 17 against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena in December. He started every game until Dec. 23 when he suffered a sprained ankle against Utah State that night. Since the injury he has been a key contributor off the bench, scoring 10 points against Portland on Jan. 15 and eight more against San Diego on the road on Jan. 20. For the season, he is third on the team in rebounding with 89 boards.

Last year, Henke was a member of the WCC All-Academic team and he is a two-time member of the WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

The Bronco men travel to the Northwest this weekend to take on the Portland Pilots on Saturday, Feb. 10 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday, Feb. 12. The game against Portland starts at 7:00 p.m. PT at the Chiles Center, while the game against the Zags tips off at 9:00 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPN2. Both games will be aired live on the radio on 1220 KNTS.