Getting it done. Want proof that student-athletes are performing well in the classroom? Well, here it is. The second year of Academic Success Rate data shows that 69 percent of Division II student-athletes graduate within a six-year window. The ASR is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate and was developed to provide a more accurate representation than the federal methodology, which doesn’t take into account nearly 16,000 nonscholarship student-athletes. If the federal rate is used as an indicator, 55 percent of Division II student-athletes graduate within six years – significantly higher than the 46 percent from the regular student body.

One fast dude. Former Hunter College men’s cross country standout Omri Holzman finished 34th in Sunday’s New York City Marathon, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 2:32.13. It was the best career finish for Holzman, who finished 48th last fall in the same year he finished his undergraduate studies. The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) male scholar-athlete of the year in 2006, Holzman graduated from Hunter with a 3.73 GPA and a degree in computer science. During his time in college, Holzman balanced his athletics responsibilities with a full-time day job at the United Nations while attending night classes. A 15-time conference champion, the Tel Aviv native first took up running during his days in the Israeli army.

Findlay wins! It hasn’t been a great week for Big Ten basketball, so it’s a good thing we’re not in the full swing of the regular season. On Tuesday night, Ohio State became the second Big Ten squad to drop an exhibition game to a Division II opponent in less than one week, as Findlay dropped the Buckeyes, 70-68. Last week, Grand Valley State’s men’s team knocked off Michigan State in an exhibition contest. Both exhibition games were aired on the Big Ten Network, as was the season-opening football game between Appalachian State and Michigan. Will Big Ten schools start looking for a way back to network television??? Findlay happens to be have a strong Division II program and Ohio State is rebuilding following last year’s run to the national championship game, but there does seem to be more parity in college hoops than one might expect.