HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 6- Trinity College sophomore safety/wide receiver Steven Cella (Peabody, MA) has been named to the 1999 Hewlett Packard NCAA Division III All-American Third Team. He is the first Bantam to earn All-American recognition since running back Ray Jones earned third team honors in 1996.

Cella has also been neamed to the New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star Team, the Don Hansen Football Gazette East Region All-Star Second Team, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England All-Star First Team, and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Star Team.

Cella joins Bantam senior co-captain center Brian Blanchard (Melrose, MA) and senior linebacker Jeff Iudice (Melrose, MA) on the ECAC All-Star Team, while Blanchard and senior linebacker Brian LaHaie (Silver Spring, MD) also made the NESCAC All-Star Team. In addition, Trinity freshman tailback Brian Fabrizio (Norwell, MA) was named the 1999 NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bantams compiled a 5-3 record under first-year Head Coach Bill Decker.

Cella broke the College record for interceptions in a season with nine, which tied him for first in NCAA Division III, and totaled 40 tackles (23 solo), 11 pass breakups, and one tackle for a loss. He averaged 21.7 yards on 13 kickoff returns, 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns, and 11.8 yards on his nine interception returns, including a 54-yarder that resulted in a Bantam touchdown. Offensively, Cella caught five passes for 89 yards and one touchdown, and carried the ball once on a reverse for 17 yards.

Blanchard started all eight games on the Bantam offensive line, and started the previous 16 games at both center and offensive tackle. Blanchard anchored the Trinity offensive line, which helped the Bantam backs average 114.1 rushing yards per game.

Iudice started all eight games at middle linebacker, leading the squad in tackles for the second straight season with 95 (56 solo). Iudice also notched 13.5 tackles for losses, 5,5 sacks, three pass breakups, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. LaHaie started all eight games at outside linebacker, totaling 76 tackles (47 solo), 15.5 tackles for losses, five sacks, seven pass breakups, one interception, and twofumble recoveries. Iudice and LaHaie helped the Trinity defense finish 13th in the nation against the run and 40th overall.

Fabrizio started seven of eight games in the Bantam offensive backfield, leading the team in rushing and all-purpose yards. Fabrizio, who was the Massachusetts high school rushing champion in his division in 1998, had 165 carries for 743 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown, and even threw a five-yard touchdown pass on an option play.