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Somerset, NJ -- Three student-athletes from St. Francis (PA), along with one each from Wagner and Gardner-Webb comprise the 2004-05 Valley National Bank Winter Scholar-Athlete award winners. In addition to the Scholar-Athletes, the NEC also announced its winter academic honor roll, consisting of 271 student-athletes. All Scholar-Athlete award winners must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours, maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team.
Wagner senior center Sean Munson (Berryville, VA/Clarke County) is the recipient of Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete honors in men’s basketball. Munson earned second team all-NEC recognition in 2004-05 after leading the Seahawks to the NEC title game following a fantastic late season run that saw the Seahawks win 11 of their final 13 contests. One of the most talented post players the conference has produced in recent years, he averaged 12.4 points and led the league with 9.1 rebounds per game. Munson, who ranked 30th nationally in rebounding, also topped the NEC with 13 double-doubles. The Berryville, VA product was tabbed to the ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America team at the conclusion of the season. A double major in Computer Science and Mathematics, Munson maintains a 3.52 grade point average.
St. Francis (PA) senior forward Beth Swink (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville) earns the Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete award for women’s basketball for the second straight year. Swink, who played on four NEC championship teams and was named the 2005 NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, recently became the eighth student-athlete in league history to twice earn distinction as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America. A second team honoree as a junior, she is the first women’s basketball player in conference annals to reach first team Academic All-America status. A three-time first team all-NEC performer and the 2003-04 NEC Player of the Year, Swink concluded her senior season ranked fifth in the nation in scoring with a league-leading 22.2 ppg. Her 2,127 career points rank her second on both the NEC and St. Francis (PA) all-time list. Swink was one of ten national semifinalists for the Creamland Dairies Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence and has been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania Dental School, where she is a candidate for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The Connellsville, PA native is a Biology major and carries a 3.71 grade point average.
Gardner-Webb junior Taylor Simpson (Boiling Springs, NC/Crest) is the second consecutive student-athlete from the university to capture Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete accolades in women’s swimming, joining former teammate Jennifer Chester. In February, Simpson helped propel Gardner-Webb to its second straight NEC Women’s Swimming & Diving title since joining the NEC as an associate member in 2003. She established a new meet record (2:05.27) in winning the 200 individual medley and also took top honors in the 400 individual medley (4:25.37). In addition, Simpson anchored three first place relay teams in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle, all of which established new NEC marks in the respective events. During the course of the regular season, Simpson, who hails from Boiling Springs, NC, was ranked among the top-12 in the conference in ten different events. A Gardner-Webb Presidential Scholarship winner and a University Academic Fellow, she is listed in the 2005 Who’s Who Among Students In American Universities and Colleges and has been named to the Dean’s List and Gardner-Webb Academic Honor Roll each semester she has been enrolled at the school. An English/Spanish double major, Simpson sports a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
St. Francis (PA) senior A.J. Suravicz (Ashley, PA/Hanover) takes home Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete plaudits in men’s indoor track and field. Suravicz became the fifth student-athlete in league history to capture All-America honors in indoor track when he placed ninth in the mile at the NCAA Championships in March, clocking in at 4:07.74. One month prior to making a splash at nationals, he won his second straight NEC indoor mile (4:14.79) and finished second in the 3,000 meters (8:30.41) at the conference meet . Suravicz also set a new school record in the mile and nearly cracked the four-minute mark in the event when he crossed the tape in 4:00.14 at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational in early February. Hailing from Ashley, PA, Suravicz maintains a 3.46 grade point average as an Economics & Finance major.
St. Francis (PA) senior Erika Jacobs (Toronto, Ontario/West Hill Collegiate) claims Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete honors in women’s indoor track and field. Jacobs collected her first NEC individual title at the 2005 league championships by placing first in the 800 meter run. Her time of 2:16.53 was nearly three seconds faster than her closest competitor. Jacobs also secured a runner-up finish in the mile (5:06.09). Earlier in the season, she shattered the St. Francis (PA) record in the indoor mile with a third place time of 4:57.10 at NYU’s Fast Track Invitational. A two-time all-NEC cross country performer, she also holds three individual school track records (800 meters, 1,000 meters and mile) and is a member of two record-setting relay teams. Jacobs, who is a native of Toronto, Ontario, is finishing up a double-major of Psychology and Pre-Law. Her grade point average is a near-perfect 3.98.
2004-05 Valley National Bank Winter Scholar-Athletes
Sport Name School GPA Major
Men’s Basketball Sean Munson Wagner 3.52 Computer Science & Mathematics
Women’s Basketball Beth Swink St. Francis (PA) 3.71 Biology
Women’s Swimming Taylor Simpson Gardner-Webb 4.00 English & Spanish
Men’s Indoor Track A.J. Suravicz St. Francis (PA) 3.46 Economics & Finance
Women’s Indoor Track Erika Jacobs St. Francis (PA) 3.98 Psychology & Pre-Law