Winter's Academic, Athletic Best
20 Crusader Winter Sports Athletes on MAC All-Academic Teams,
Seven Make Conference Executive Director's Teams
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.)- Twenty student-athletes from Susquehanna University winter sports teams have earned honors from the Middle Atlantic Conference for their academic excellence.
Of that group, seniors Kim Aurand (Lewistown/Lewistown H.S.) and Tonya Wolfe (Turbotville/Warrior Run H.S.) joined with sophomore Emily Dugan (Athens/Athens H.S.) on the Women's Indoor Track and Field Executive Director's All-Academic Team, while senior Brett Shank (Carlisle/Carlisle H.S.) and junior Steve Fischer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood H.S.) are on the Men's Swimming Executive Director's Team. Senior women's basketball standout Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) and sophomore women's swimming record-holder Charlotte Murray (Hummelstown/Hershey H.S.) also made their respective Executive Director's teams.
The remaining 13 Crusader student-athletes made the Academic Honor Rolls in their respective sports.
To be nominated for either the MAC Executive Director's All-Academic Team, or the Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes have to be at least sophomores with cumulative grade point averages of 3.20 or better (out of a possible 4.0) and starters or significant reserves on their respective teams.The Executive Director's teams are voted on by the conference sports information directors and represent the top vote-getters in each sport. The number of student-athletes on that team corresponds to the numbers of starters in that particular sport.
In addition to Shank and Fischer, the Crusader men's swimming team had three other athletes on the MAC Academic Honor Roll in senior Chuck Keeports (New Freedom/Susquehannock H.S.) and sophomores Mike Kelly (Pittsburgh/Brentwood H.S.) and J.C. Owens (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel H.S.). That group helped the Crusader swimmers go 5-5 in dual meets for their best record since 1990-91 under 20th-year head coach Ged Schweikert. They were also sixth out of nine teams at the MAC Championships.
Senior Sarah Wright (Reading Center, N.Y./Watkins Glen H.S.) is also a member of the women's swimming Academic Honor Roll. She and Murray helped the Crusaders place fifth out of 11 teams to equal their best finish ever at the conference championships, also equaling their best dual meet finish since 1990-91 by going 7-4 for Schweikert.
The Crusader men's basketball team had three players on its respective MAC All-Academic Team in senior small forward Tony Mennito (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin H.S.), as well as sophomores Garrett Thompson (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East H.S.) and Mike Witcoskie (Annville/Palmyra H.S.) at swingman and two-guard respectively. All three were starters at least for part of the season on a team which went 9-14 overall, 6-8 in the MAC Commonwealth League for 10th-year coach Frank Marcinek.
The women's basketball team also had two additional players on its All-Academic Team as center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) and point guard Lisa Swanhart (Lawrenceville, N.J./Notre Dame H.S.), both juniors, joined Venne to earn conference academic honors. They helped lead the Crusader women to an NCAA Division III Tournament berth for the first time since 1993 while posting the program's 11th-straight winning season at 17-10 overall, 10-4 in the Commonwealth League.
Juniors Jerry Evangelista (Steppton/Hazleton Area H.S.) and Ryan Neumyer (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley H.S.) also joined sophomore Kory Wentworth (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) on the MAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Academic Roll. That group helped Susquehanna finish third at the recent MAC Indoor Championships.
Senior Tanya Zelger (Carlisle/Trinity H.S.) is also a member of the Women's Indoor Track and Field Academic Honor Roll. Zelger and the team's three Executive Director's Team members also helped the Crusader women finish third at the conference indoor meet.
A senior tri-captain, Aurand was fourth in the triple jump (32-4 ¾) and sixth in the long jump (14-7 ½) at the recent MAC indoor meet, also running the second leg on both the the winning 1,600-meter relay team (4:22.47) and second-place 800-meter relay (1:54.62) teams.
A biology major who has earned conference academic honors a maximum eight times (3 fall, 3 winter, 2 spring), she is the daughter of Steven and Teresa Aurand of Lewistown.
Also a tri-captain, Wolfe ran the anchor leg on the recent winning 1,600-meter relay, and the third leg on the 800 relay. She also was third indoors in the 400-meter dash (1:04.53).
A three-time member of the MAC All-Academic Indoor Track and Field Team as an elementary-education major, Wolfe is the daughter of John and Tammy Wolfe.
Dugan ran the lead-off leg on both of Susquehanna's indoor sprint relays, and also was second in the 55-meter hurdles (:09.59) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (:29.17) at the conference meet.
She earns conference academic honors for the first time as an elementary-education major and is the daughter of John and Bonnie Dugan.
Zelger is a member of the women's track and field teams' distance squad and ran the 3,000-meter run at several indoor meets this past winter. She was 26th in the event at Franklin & Marshall's Inannicelli Classic on February 6, and had a season best time of 13:45.94 at the Bucknell Winter Classic on February 13.
Also a member of the MAC All-Academic Women's Cross Country Team in the fall, Zelger is the daughter of Rudolph and Mary Zelger.
Evangelista has been a member of Susquehanna's strong group of track and field sprinters. He was third in his heat of the 55-meter dash at the MAC Indoor Championships with a time of :07.12, but missed making the finals.
A member of his track & field all-academic teams the maximum three times thus far, he is a mathematics major and the son of Gerald and Roseann Evangelista.
Neumyer runs distance for the Crusader thinclads and made the field in the 5,000-meter run at the MAC indoor meet. He went on to post a time of 17:28.18, but did not make the top six in the event.
Also on the MAC All-Academic Men's Cross Country Team last fall, Neumyer is the son of William and Suszanne Neumyer.
While Wentworth is not competing on the track and field team this spring, he was a hurdler/sprinter during the winter - running the lead-off leg of Susquehanna's fourth-place 1,600-meter relay team (3:45.53) at the conference indoor meet.
He is an accounting major and the son of Roger and Barbara Wentworth.
His team's Most Valuable Performer this season, Shank was recently seventh in the 400-yard individual medley at the MAC Swimming Championships with the team's season-best and his career best time of 4:38.85 - second-fastest in school history. He also was 15th in the 100-yard butterfly (:59.47), also swimming on Susquehanna's fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:32.82), fifth-place 400-yard medley relay (3:54.10), sixth-place 400-freestyle relay (3:28.00), and sixth-place 800-yard freestyle relay (7:41.67). All the relays were season best times.
An environmental science major and three-time conference All-Academic pick, he is the son of Dennis and Dara Shank of Carlisle.
Although Fischer was not expected to swim at MACs due to sickness, he went on to break his own school record in the 200-yard individual medley with a 2:03.72 to place third in the event. Fischer was also fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke with the team's season best time of 1:04.25 - third-fastest in school history. He also swam on the fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay team, which swam a season best time of 1:32.82.
A biology major, he is the son of Raymond and Corinne Fisher of Ridgewood.
Keeports was one of the team's top sprint freestylers this season, finishing 14th in the 50-yard freestyle (:23.66) and 17th in the 100 (:52.70) at MACs. He also swam legs on all five of Susquehanna's placewinning relays.
A three-time member of the MAC All-Academic Team, Keeports is an environmental science major and the son of Richard and Bonita Keeports of New Freedom.
A swimmer throughout the dual meet season, Kelly made the MAC meet in the 50-yard freestyle. He posted a time of :25.12, but failed to make the top 12 in the event.
An accounting major, Kelly is the son of Maureen Kelly.
Owens also competed during the dual meet season for the team, swimming in the freestyle, backstroke and relay events.
A biology major, he is the son of John and Debbie Owens.
Murray was both the team's Co-Most Valuable Performer and Co-High Point Award this season. She broke her own school records in both the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500-freestyle, placing second and third in the conference in each respectively. She swam 18:43.80 in the 1,650 and 5:24.98 in the 500. She also swam the third leg in Susquehanna's record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay team, which posted a time of 8:19.45 while placing fourth. Murray also finished sixth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:08.40). She also broke the 1,000-yard freestyle record during her split of her 1,650-yard freestyle race at MACs with a time of 11:13.98.
A biology major, she is the daughter of Dr. Bosseau and Janette Murray.
Wright was one of the team's top butterfly swimmers this season, placing 12th in the 200-yard butterfly (2:41.22) and 19th in the 100-fly (1:12.11) at MACs. She was also 20th in the 200-IM (2:36.94) at the conference meet.
On the MAC All-Academic Women's Swimming Team a maximum three times, Wright is an accounting major and the daughter of Gordon and Carol Wright
The 6-4 Mennito broke the school record for career three-point field goals this season as he finished with 160 (of 419, 38.2%). He led the team in three-point field goals made this season with 55 (out of 137, 40.1%) while playing in all 23 games, starting the final 13. He was third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game, averaging 2.7 rebounds per game.
A biology major and three-time All-Academic Team pick, Mennito is the son of Elaine and Vincent Mennito.
At 6-2, Thompson played in 21 games this season, starting 12 as a swingman. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field (41 of 83).
A communications and theatre arts major, he is the son of Dr. Sterling and Mrs. Barbara Thompson.
The 6-2 Witcoskie played in 19 games this season, starting nine at two-guard, and averaged 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He was third among the regular players in free throw shooting at 78.6 percent (22 of 28), and also third in three-point percentage at 40.6 percent (13 of 32).
An allied health major, he is the son of James and Jeanette Witcoskie of Palmyra
The 5-9 Venne was recently the recipient of the Jostens Trophy as the Division III Women's Basketball Player of the Year and is also a Kodak All-American and selection to the GTE Academic All-America College Division First Team this season. A four-time Commonwealth league first-team All-Star, she led the team this season in both scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) - ranking second in the MAC and eighth in Division III in scoring, and fifth in the conference in rebounding. She was also second on the team, third in the MAC and 19th in Division III field goal percentage (57.3%, 219 of 382). Her 579 points and scoring average were the second best in a season at Susquehanna (Records: 586 points, Deb Yeasted, 1984-85; 29.8 avg., Lyn Jones, 1980-81). Venne finished second in Susquehanna women's history in career scoring (1,929 points) and third in rebounding (894). She tied for first in MAC modern history (since 1993-94) in career scoring average (19.3 ppg - tying Jarra Rusnock, Albright, 1994-98).
A psychology major who has been an MAC All-Academic pick the maximum three times, she is the daughter of Richard and Ann Venne.
A first-team league All-Star this season after being a second-teamer in her first two years, the 6-2 Kern has been leading Division III in field goal percentage this season, breaking the MAC single-season record at 65.0 percent (169 of 260). Also the team leader in blocked shots (1.8 per game) and steals (2.1 per game) - ranking third in the MAC in blocks - she was second on the team and fifth in the conference in scoring (15.7 ppg), ranking second on the squad in rebounding (8.6 per game). Kern is fourth all-time at Susquehanna in career rebounds (730) and sixth in scoring (1,227 points).
A psychology major who has earned MAC All-Academic honors for a second time, she is the daughter of Carol and Peter Kern.
The 5-6 Swanhart was the team's back-up point guard this season, playing in all but four games - averaging 1.3 points and nearly a steal in 10.0 minutes per game. She also was 5 of 12 (41.7%) from three-point range this season.
A biochemistry major, Swanhart is the daughter of Eugene and Patricia Swanhart.
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