AURORA — A total of 53 Colorado high schools have been crowned Academic Team Champions in 30 different sports and non-athletic activities, according to the Colorado High School Activities Association.

However, none of the local schools were named.

The Academic Team Champion is a recognition program sponsored by The Denver Post, News4TV, and the CHSAA. It is designed to acknowledge the academic achievement of the interscholastic programs in the state. Schools nominate their teams which have accumulative grade point averages of 3.2 (based on 4.0 scale) or higher for consideration. This year, 105 teams were nominated in the various sports and activities sponosred by the CHSAA.

Some schools earned bragging rights in more than one sport or activity. Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins garnered six state academic team titles, including boys basketball, boys lacrosse, boys swimming and diving, baseball, boys track and field, and girls soccer in Class 5A competition. Evergreen picked up five while Fruita-Monument had four. Nearby Durango had two.

Of note, for the Fall 2000 season, the Class 4A Palisade girls cross-country team had a GPA of 3.83. Norwood, which won the Class A football title outright, also won the academic team title as well with a GPA of 3.02. Fruita-Monument won for 5A boys golf and boys tennis. Durango won for 5A student council.

Some Western Slope schools won for the Winter 2000-01 season. Norwood tied Genoa-Hugo for 2A girls basketball. Central of Grand Junction won for Speech Tournament.

The Spring 2001 season also saw some Western Slope teams win. Durango won for 5A girls golf. Fruita-Monument choir won for 5A and Central’s orchestra won for 5A in music.

In other news from CHSAA, Flagler Athletic Director Tom Arensdorf has been elected the 51st president of the CHSAA. Arensdorf, a member of the executive committee for the past two years, was elected to the two-year post. He takes over for Dennis Teeters who served in that position for the past two school years.

Arensdorf is a 1974 graduate of La Junta High School and a graduate of Western State College. He holds a masters in secondary education from Adams State College. He has coached high school and junior high volleyball, boys and girls basketball, baseball, golf, and boys and girls track over the past 22 years at FHS. He is in his 11th year as A.D. for the school. He will take over as principal of the school this fall.

Tom Robinson, a math teacher and former basketball coach at Regis High School, has been named Assistant Commissioner for the CHSAA. Robinson, who has been a collegiate football official and has worked several bowl games including the 1999 Cotton Bowl, will work with the association’s 4,000 officials and 19 officials’ organizations, supporting their efforts in recruitment, training, and retention.

"Tom Robinson is the consummate professional who brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to the position. His experience as a coach (21 years in football, basketball and track) and official lends a unique perspective to the new position," Bob Ottewill, CHSAA commissioner, said.