FAU Sports Update

FAU TO HOST CONFERENCE USA CELEBRATION

Florida Atlantic University's Department of Athletics will host a celebration to signify the Owls official move to Conference USA on Monday, July 1at noon in the Delray Acura Club of FAU Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.

Pat Chun, director of athletics at FAU, will emcee the event which will feature remarks from FAU Acting President Dennis Crudele, as well as the debut of the FAU football team's new helmet and team uniform.

The event is open to the public and will end with a reception.

FAU'S NEXON DORVILUS EARNS SECOND-TEAM SPOT IN `ATHLON SPORTS' MAGAZINE

Florida Atlantic University senior tight end Nexon Dorvilus has earned a spot on Athlon Sports magazine's preseason Conference USA second team.

Dorvilus was named to the 2013 CollegeFootballPerformance.com watch list last week. He saw action in every game as a junior and finished his campaign with 30 receptions for 301 yards in 2012. Dorvilus was one of seven receivers to record a touchdown reception and led all with five scores. He had a season high six receptions and 78 yards versus Troy University. At season's end he earned second team All-Sun Belt honors, the former conference FAU competed in, and also was named the team's Student-Athlete of the Year. The senior will be asked to provide leadership as the Owls make the transition into Conference USA in 2013 and play their second season under the direction of FAU Head Football Coach Carl Pelini.

FAU will open the 2013 season on Friday, Aug. 30 versus the University of Miami at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Owls will open the home schedule with fellow Conference USA member Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday, Sept. 21 at FAU Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.

To purchase FAU season football tickets, call 1-866-FAU-Owls or visit www.fausports.com.

FAU NAMES MARLON DECHAUSAY AS DIRECTOR OF STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC CENTER

Florida Atlantic University has named Marlon Dechausay as its new director of the Student-Athlete Center for Academic Excellence and associate athletics director. FAU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Brenda Claiborne and Pat Chun, director of athletics, made the announcement today. The Student-Athlete Center for Academic Excellence oversees the academic matriculation of nearly 500 FAU student athletes, including 19 intercollegiate teams, as well as cheer and dance.

"Marlon will bring great leadership to our academic area and will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes," said Chun. "He is a great addition to Florida Atlantic University, and we are excited to have him join our team."

As director of the Center, Dechausay will administer all aspects of academic support and student life programs for FAU student-athletes, including NCAA compliance requirements. He also will oversee life skills development workshops, tutorial and study hall programs for student-athletes, and will serve as the primary liaison among the athletic department, academic affairs and student affairs.

"I am excited about the opportunity to bring creativity, passion and my total student-athlete philosophy to a university with a respected academic and athletics tradition," said Dechausay.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Dechausay has more than a decade of experience in the field. He is currently the director of athletic academic services at Indiana State University and has served in athletic departments at Texas Tech University, Iowa State University, Syracuse University and Florida State University, where he was the athletic academic coordinator from 2006-10. While at FSU, he worked to create a leadership program for male student-athletes called R.E.A.L. Men (Reliable Educated Articulate Leaders).

Dechausay is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics and is a past recipient of the Lan Hewitt Leadership Award, given to outstanding athletic advisors. He is also a member of the Black Coaches Association. He holds a master's degree from Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he earned Sun Belt Conference track titles in the 400-meter. He also was a member of the Canadian national track team from 1992-99 and is Japan's 400-meter record holder for runners under 19.

RELIEVER HUGH ADAMS NAMED THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

Florida Atlantic University's Hugh Adams continues to collect honors, most recently he was named Third Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The NCBWA honored 59 student-athletes on three teams. Adams was one of 10 relief pitchers, nationally, honored by the organization.

Adams recorded a 3-0 record along with an FAU single-season 18 saves which combines to make the senior right-handed pitcher both FAU and the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) all-time career save leader with 31. Adams had 29 appearances during his senior campaign. He struck out 38, walked 13 and held opponents to a .262 batting average. For his career, Adams appeared in 99 games, also an FAU record.

In FAU's last 16 games, the Owls captured 14 victories and the SBC Tournament, as well as advanced to the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. Adams was 3-0 during that time with five saves.

The senior from Bethesda, Md., was honored as an All-Region performer earlier this week by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).