BUFFALO, NY - A pair of University at Buffalo defensive linemen were honored on the District I Academic All-America Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Bill Meholif

Juniors Bill Meholif (Parma, OH/St. Ignatius) and Aaron Sanders (Clarence, NY/St. Joseph's) made the defensive team, made up of 24 players from Division I programs from New England, New York and Pennsylvania.

Meholif has made a tremendous comeback from a pair of knee surgeries that cost him the entire 2003 season, as well as this past year's spring football drills. He had not played in two years when he reclaimed his starting defensive tackle spot this fall and twice has racked up a career-best seven tackles this season (Eastern Michigan and Marshall). Meholif currently ranks second among Bulls' defensive linemen with 31 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. In the classroom, Meholif sports a 3.70 GPA while majoring in Finance. He has been a UB Dean's List member as well as a UB Scholar-Athlete.

Aaron Sanders

Sanders, meanwhile, earned a berth on the team by posting a 3.55 GPA in the classroom and producing an outstanding season on the field. Sanders leads UB defensive linemen with 44 tackles (25 solos) and leads the team with career-best figures of 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. In addition, the former All-Western New York player is tied for the team lead with three fumble recoveries, while also forcing a fumble. Sanders has also been on the University's Dean's List as well as a UB Scholar-Athlete.

In Mid-American Conference rankings, Sanders is tied for third in fumbles recovered per game (.30), tied for seventh in sacks per game (.55) and tied for seventh in tackles for loss per game (1.10). The junior Marketing major was also named the MAC Player of the Week after the season opener at Eastern Michigan, when he posted a career-best seven tackles, 2.5 sacks, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.