Feb. 20, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy senior sprint football quarterback Chris Marsh (New Alexandria, Pa.) is one of 20 college undergraduates in the nation recognized by USA Today in its 18th-annual All-USA College Academic First Team.

Marsh was selected to the first team among a field of nearly 600 students nominated by their schools across the country.

Majoring in systems engineering, Marsh ranks at the top of the senior class with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. He also ranks seventh in the class in military order of merit and fourth in overall order of merit. The Navy senior has been named to the Superintendent's List during each of his seven semesters in Annapolis. He currently serves as the second regimental commander and battalion commander. Service selecting Navy aviation following graduation in May, he's aiming to become a NASA astronaut.

The product of New Alexandria, Pa., has made an impact while working at the Los Alamos National Lab. He developed a control system to regulate reactivity and temperature of lunar surface nuclear reactor design, which is being developed to power a future manned outpost on the moon.

Athletically, Marsh started at quarterback during all six of Navy's games in 2006, guiding the Midshipmen to a 5-1 record and a 2-0 record against Army. He completed 39-of-76 passes (51.3 percent) for 610 yards with a pair of touchdown strikes, as well as rushing for 34 yards and two touchdowns. He is one of only six members on the 2006 squad to earn a varsity letter during their four-year career with Navy.