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Somerset, NJ -- Three student-athletes from Fairleigh Dickinson, along with two from Quinnipiac and one each from Long Island, Monmouth, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart comprise the 2008 Northeast Conference Spring Scholar-Athlete award winners. In addition to the Scholar-Athletes, the NEC also announced its spring academic honor roll, consisting of 662 student-athletes with a 3.20 grade point average or higher. 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.

Fairleigh Dickinson junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) is the baseball Scholar-Athlete award winner. A third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America selection, Maher finished 2008 with a league-leading 33 stolen bases, and also ranked eighth on the circuit in batting average (.328) and fourth in hits (65). He paced the Knights in seven statistical categories and ended the year two hits and one stolen base shy of school single-season records. For his efforts, Maher was named to the All-New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association first team. The Peekskill, NY native is a Communications major who carries a 3.94 grade point average.

Monmouth senior Anthony Campanile (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) claims Scholar-Athlete accolades in men’s golf. He provided the perfect bookend to his career this past May when he won his second NEC individual crown with a one-stroke victory at the league championships in Hershey, PA. Campanile, who also took home first place honors as a freshman in 2005, became the first player in five years to finish the league meet below par by firing a four-under 212. The first golfer in school history to earn all-conference honors in each of his four years, Campanile was also the team leader in stroke average four years running. He averaged 75.1 shots per round in 2007-08 and won three individual titles. Campanile was named Monmouth’s Boylan Award winner at year’s end, which recognizes the senior student-athlete who best demonstrates the traits of leadership, sportsmanship, scholarship and athletic ability. A Business Finance major from Manahawkin, NJ, he sports a 3.34 grade point average.

Fairleigh Dickinson sophomore Eve Mayr (Schwendi, Germany/Gebhart-Mueller-Schule) is the Scholar-Athlete recipient in women’s golf. Mayr tied for fourth at the NEC Championships in Dade City, FL in April, carding a three-day 243 to help lead Fairleigh Dickinson to its first league title and NCAA Tournament appearance. She was named to the all-NEC team for the second straight year and averaged 83.1 strokes per round during the 2007-08 season. Mayr, the 2007 NEC Golfer and Rookie of the Year as a freshman when she placed third at the conference meet, finished the campaign with seven top-five finishes, including runner-up honors at the FDU and Sacred Heart Invitationals, as well as the St. Francis Quad. A Management major, Mayr maintains a near-perfect 3.99 grade point average.

Quinnipiac junior midfielder Tiffany Manzi (Feeding Hills, MA/Agawam) collects the Scholar-Athlete prize in women’s lacrosse. Manzi was named the NEC Player of the Year and nearly took the Bobcats to their first league championship before finishing one goal short in a 15-14 title game setback to Sacred Heart. In that contest, she recorded three goals and an assist to earn All-Tournament honors. On the year, Manzi led the NEC and ranked 10th nationally with 1.88 caused turnovers per game, and finished in the conference top-10 in draw controls (fourth, 2.75/game), goals (fourth, 2.31/game) and points (sixth, 3.06/game). The former NEC Rookie of the Year and two-time first team all-conference performer also paced Quinnipiac with 37 goals, 49 points, 44 draw controls and 30 caused turnovers. Manzi hails from Feeding Hills, MA and is a Public Relations major with a 3.49 grade point average.

Long Island senior catcher Jessica DePippo (Westlake Village, CA/Agoura) is this year’s softball Scholar-Athlete. DePippo became the first LIU softball player since 1994 to earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors when she was chosen to the third team last month. She helped lead the Blackbirds to four NEC championships and was a three-time all-NEC honoree, as well as the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2004. This past season, DePippo hit .340 and led the team wit five home runs, 29 RBI and a .544 slugging percentage. She ranks second at LIU in career doubles (40), fourth in home runs (16) and total bases (276), fifth in hits (186) and seventh in RBI (107). Behind the plate, she committed just four errors over the course of her career and leaves with a .993 fielding percentage, best in school history. As a senior, DePippo was one of 30 softball student-athletes nationwide to be nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, given annually to the premier student-athletes in their respective sport. Currently working toward her master’s degree, the Westlake Village, CA native graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.89 grade point average majoring in Education.

Fairleigh Dickinson sophomore Kyle Eddins (Tampa, FL/Saddlebrook Prep) wins the Scholar-Athlete award in men’s tennis. Competing primarily at the #5 singles flight, Eddins was a key component in FDU’s march to a second straight NEC championship this past April. He went 5-0 against league competition on the year - including a 3-0 mark at the conference tournament - and 18-14 overall to earn second team all-NEC plaudits. Eddins, who was a first team singles all-star as a freshman, pushed his two-year NEC record to 11-1. He gained additional recognition at #3 doubles, teaming with Priit Gross. The first team all-NEC tandem went undefeated in six conference matches and finished 18-9 on the year. Hailing from Tampa, FL, Eddins is a Business Administration major at FDU and has posted a 3.60 grade point average.

Quinnipiac junior Nicole Adams (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) takes home Scholar-Athlete accolades in women’s tennis. Adams was tabbed to the all-NEC second team at #6 singles and #3 doubles for the Bobcats, who won their fifth consecutive NEC championship with a 4-2 triumph over Long Island in April. She finished with six singles wins, including three at the #6 flight, and ended the year 2-1 against conference rivals. Adams, who comes from New Windsor, NY, also formed a successful doubles pairing with Lisanne Steinert. The duo went 2-1 versus NEC competition and closed out the season with a 5-4 overall mark. An International Business major, Adams has recorded a 3.85 grade point average.

After collecting Scholar-Athlete accolades in indoor track and field in each of the last two years, Robert Morris senior Jeff Witmyer (West Lawn, PA/Wilson) is the recipient of his first men’s outdoor track and field honor. Competing on his home campus, Witmyer uncorked a 6’7" high jump to win the title at the NEC Outdoor Championships in May, just three months after capturing his second straight indoor championship. His best mark this past season was a 6’10 3/4" leap at the Penn Invitational, which helped him qualify for NCAA regionals, where he finished tenth with a height of 6’9". Witmyer was also crowned IC4A champions after clearing 6’8 1/4". The West Lawn, PA product recently earned his third straight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honor. Witmyer maintains a 3.73 grade point average as part of an integrated system at Robert Morris in which he will earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Sciences and Master’s Degree in Information Security and Assurance.

Sacred Heart senior Marsha Locke (Danbury, CT/Danbury) wins the Scholar-Athlete award in women’s outdoor track and field. Locke served as the catalyst as the Pioneers won their first-ever NEC Outdoor Championship in May. In registering NCAA regional qualifying marks to defend her shot put title (49’ 2 1/4"), as well as win the javelin (143’ 10"), Locke earned both Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer honors at the league meet in Moon Township, PA. She also finished third in both the hammer throw (172’ 1") and discus (137’ 8"). One week later, Locke successfully defended her New England shot put title and earned her third career New England crown by capturing the javelin. A native of Danbury, CT, Locke wrapped her stellar career at NCAA Regionals with a sixth place showing in the shot put to earn All-East honors. The only female in school history to place at NCAA Regionals, her 49’ 9 1/4" toss broke her own school record. Locke was awarded the ECAC Medal of Merit last month - the highest honor given by Sacred Heart’s Department of Athletics for those who combine academic and athletic excellence - and was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team. Locke carries a 3.47 grade point average and majors in Nursing.

2008 Northeast Conference Spring Scholar-Athletes

 
Sport             Name               School        GPA   Major  
Baseball          Matt Maher         FDU           3.94  Communications  
Men’s Golf        Anthony Campanile  Monmouth      3.34  Business Finance
Women’s Golf      Eve Mayr           FDU           3.99  Management  
Women’s Lacrosse  Tiffany Manzi      Quinnipiac    3.49  Public Relations  
Softball          Jessica DePippo    Long Island   3.89  Education  
Men’s Tennis      Kyle Eddins        FDU           3.60  Business       
                                                         Administration      
Women’s Tennis    Nicole Adams       Quinnipiac    3.85  International 
                                                         Business 
M. Outdoor Track  Jeff Witmyer       Robert Morris 3.73  Information Sciences/ 
                                                         Information Security 
                                                         and Assurance
W. Outdoor Track  Marsha Locke       Sacred Heart  3.47  Nursing