BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo football players Aaron Leeper (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) and Chad Bartoszek (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) were both bestowed impressive honors by the Mid-American Conference on Tuesday.

Aaron Leeper

Leeper was named the conference's Freshman of the Year - Buffalo's first-ever major award winner in its four-year history in the league in football - while Bartoszek earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team Offense.

Leeper earned the accolade based on an extremely productive rookie campaign. The former Western New York Player of the Year broke the all-time Buffalo records for yards (917) and touchdowns (10) by a freshman. Leeper finished the season with 1,267 yards of total offense and on three different occasions went over 100 yards in a game.

His season totals of 235 attempts (third all-time), 917 yards (fifth) and 10 touchdowns (tied for sixth) all ranked among the top 10 in school history. He also became just the eighth player in UB history to record three 100-yard games in the same season. In his first carry of his career, he scored a touchdown against Lehigh and in his first start, the following week at Rutgers, he ran for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown in a 34-11 win over the BIG EAST foe. Leeper also had 145 yards and two scores at Marshall and 119 yards and a career-best three touchdowns versus Central Florida. His 917 yards is the most by a Bulls' running back since they moved up to Division I-A in 1999.

Bartoszek, meanwhile, earned second-team honors on the All-MAC

Chad Bartoszek

teams announced on Monday and also received some more good news. Bartoszek has been selected to play in the 2003 Rotary Gridiron College Classic on January 25 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. Bartoszek has been one of the nation's most productive tight ends in his final two seasons and ranked second on the team with 45 receptions for 350 yards this season.

Over his final two seasons, Bartoszek caught 87 passes and finished his Buffalo career ninth in career receptions with 95. He becomes the first Buffalo player to earn repeat All-MAC honors (after receiving Honorable Mention status last year). Bartoszek joins former Bulls Drew Haddad, Brandon Shaughnessy and Craig Rohlfs as second-team honorees in UB's MAC history.

"We as a coaching staff take great pleasure and pride in seeing Aaron and Chad earn these rewards," said head coach Jim Hofher. "Chad has been one of the most productive tight ends in the nation these past two seasons and he'll have a great opportunity to showcase his abilities in the Gridiron Classic.

"Aaron, I'm happy to say, we'll have the pleasure of coaching for quite some time," said Hofher. " Aaron was among a group of very good young players in the conference as well as on our own team."