Northeast Conference - 2007-08 NEC Scholar-Athletes

2007-08 NEC Scholar-Athletes

Award Recipients Excel On The Playing Field & In The Classroom

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For the fourth straight year, the Northeast Conference is recognizing outstanding scholar-athletes.

One Scholar-Athlete award winner will be chosen from each participating school during NEC-televised men's and women's basketball games throughout the 2007-08 season.

2007-08 NEC Scholar-Athletes

Martina Wagner • Long Island • Volleyball	February 21, 2008
Wagner will graduate as a three-time first team all-NEC award winner. She was the 2006 NEC Player of the Year and ranked second nationally this past season with 0.86 service aces per game. Wagner, who hails from Friedrichshafen, Germany is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 1 First Team selection and is a member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll. The 6'2" outside hitter maintains a 3.70 grade point average as a Marketing major.
Deanna Petrucci • St. Francis (NY) • Basketball	February 21, 2008
Petrucci is a junior forward who ranks third on the Terriers in rebounding and second in blocks. She played all 50 minutes in a double overtime game against Monmouth on January 19th and pulled down a career-high 12 boards in a 66-58 win over Mount St. Mary's on January 7th. She has been named to the St. Francis Dean's List in four of her five semesters and is a two-time member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll. Petrucci sports a 3.62 grade point average majoring in Physical Education.
Julija Korshunova • Fairleigh Dickinson • Tennis	February 18, 2008
Korshunova, who competes at #1 singles for the Knights, was named NEC Player and Rookie of the Year after ending her freshman campaign with a 24-6 record. She led all NEC players in victories and finished 8-0 in league play. A three-time Latvian champion, she has compiled a 9-6 singles mark and 7-4 doubles record in her sophomore season. Korshunova, who is an ITA Scholar-Athlete, is a Management/International Business major. Her grade point average is 3.75.
Jennifer Bender • Monmouth • Basketball	February 18, 2008
Bender, a junior forward, currently ranks in the NEC top-10 in four categories: scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Through games of February 11, she led the Hawks with 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per outing. She has also logged seven double-doubles on the season and is approaching 700 career points. Bender is majoring in Criminal Justice and has compiled a 3.40 grade point average.
Botond Szalma • St. Francis (NY) • Water Polo	February 16, 2008
Szalma was selected as an Honorable Mention All American by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) for the third time in his career this past season. The senior, who was named the 2007 CWPA Northern Division Player of the Year, also helped lead the Terriers to the Eastern Division Championship game and a #12 national ranking. Szalma scored 46 goals and handed out 20 assists in 2007. The Hungarian native led his team to four consecutive ECAC titles and four CWPA Northern Championships during his tenure. Szalma carries a 3.52 grade point average majoring in International Culture Studies.
Taryn Reichard • Robert Morris • Soccer	February 16, 2008
Reichard, a senior defender, was named the 2007 NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned second team all-NEC honors. At the conclusion of the season, the Colonial co-captain was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II first team for the second straight year. In four seasons, Reichard appeared in 74 of a possible 76 matches, tops in school history. The Harrisburg, PA product, who has pre-med ambitions upon completion of her undergraduate work, has posted a 3.91 grade point average majoring in Environmental Science.
Andrea Lazzari • Wagner • Softball	February 14, 2008
Lazzari was named the NEC Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2006. That same season, she was also named to the all-NEC first team - after hitting .446 with four homers in league play - and the NEC All-Tournament team. A year ago, Lazzari hit .312 and knocked in 23 runs while committing only three errors at first base. The junior is currently pursuing a double major of Sociology and Education. She maintains a 3.76 grade point average.
Marsha Locke • Sacred Heart • Track & Field	February 14, 2008
Locke was named to the 2007 All-Academic Track Team by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The senior is a two-time All-New England outdoor track honoree in the shot put, winning the event at the 2007 Championships. Locke also captured the shot put at the 2007 NEC Outdoor Championships with a 44' 10 3/4" toss. A Nursing major, Locke has compiled a 3.47 grade point average.
Erin Kerner • Quinnipiac • Basketball	February 11, 2008
A two-time second team NEC all-star, Kerner was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I second team for her performance on and off the court. She became the 15th player in Quinnipiac history to score 1,000 career points last month. The former NEC Rookie of the Year currently ranks in the conference top-10 in scoring, assists, free throw percentage, three-point percentage and made three-pointers. She is an International Business major who carries a 3.22 grade point average.
Alex Tomlinson • Wagner • Swimming	February 11, 2008
Tomlinson, a junior, ranks second in the NEC in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and 1650 freestyle events this season. She took second in the 1650 freestyle and third in the 500 freestyle at the 2007 NEC Championships. Tomlinson also holds school records in five different events. A member of the water polo team, Tomlinson finished third on the Seahawks in goals and fourth in points a year ago. The Nursing major currently sports a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
P.J. Wade • Central Connecticut State • Basketball	February 9, 2008
Wade, a sophomore guard who was named team captain, was named to the NEC all-Rookie team a year ago when she averaged 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. In 2007-08, she has ranked among team leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and free throw shooting. Wade recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards in a 72-64 win over Saint Francis (PA) on January 14th. She is a Business major with a 3.62 grade point average.
Colleen Regan • Mount St. Mary's • Soccer	February 9, 2008
Regan, a junior midfielder, tallied a pair of game-winning goals for the Mount women's soccer team this past season, including the lone marker in a 1-0 victory over in-state rival Quinnipiac on October 19. She has amassed five goals and one assist over the course of her career. Regan is majoring in Elementary Education and carries a 3.95 grade point average.
Ali Kliment • Monmouth • Soccer	February 9, 2008
Kliment was a key contributor for the Hawks, who won their third NEC Tournament championship with a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart. A freshman defender, she started 20 games for Monmouth and assisted on the game-winning goal in double overtime against Long Island on October 5. The Hawks allowed just eight goals in nine conference games and 20 in 21 matches on the season. Kliment registered a perfect 4.0 in her first semester and will major in Criminal Justice.
Anna Hoffman • Saint Francis (PA) • Cross Country	January 26, 2008
Hoffman, a sophomore, finished fifth at the NEC Women’s Cross Country Championships in October, following an eighth place finish as a freshman in 2006. She also captured the 3000 meter steeplechase at the 2007 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships a year ago. A member of the Saint Francis (PA) Leadership Council, Hoffman has earned a spot on the school’s Academic Honor Roll in each of her semesters in attendance. She has compiled a 3.74 grade point average majoring in Elementary Special Education.
Yan Klukowski • CCSU • Soccer	January 26, 2008
Klukowski, a junior midfielder, was the driving force behind CCSU's magical run to its first-ever NEC crown, followed by a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A three time all-NEC pick and former NEC Rookie of the Year, he scored three goals and added three assists in the Blue Devils’ NCAA wins over #15 Harvard and #9 Tulsa, along with their 3-1 setback to Final-Four bound UMass. Klukowski was tabbed to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District team and the NCSAA/adidas North Atlantic region first team at year's end. A Physical Education major, Klukowski sports a 3.30 grade point average.
Michelle DeCourcey • Fairleigh Dickinson • Soccer	January 25, 2008
DeCourcey finished her FDU career seventh in program history with 28 points. She also tied for fifth all-time with 12 goals and tied for eighth with four assists. As a senior, DeCourcey started all 17 games and notched the game-winning goal against Mount St. Mary’s on October 14. Her finest offensive season came as a freshman, when she finished second on the Knights with 14 points, registering six goals. DeCourcey, a Psychology major, has registered a 3.90 grade point average.
Kevin Walsh • Monmouth • Football	January 25, 2008
Walsh, a defensive tackle, earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team honors this past season and was one of 51 FCS players named as a NACDA Division I Academic All-Star. A member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll, he finished with 39 total tackles, including 13 solo stops. Walsh also led the Hawks with 11 tackles-for loss and recorded three sacks, two pass breakups, two blocked kicks, an interception and two forced fumbles. A Business Administration major, Walsh carries a 3.34 grade point average.
Maggie O’Connell • Mount St. Mary's • Swimming	January 16, 2008
O'Connell became the first swimmer in Mount history to qualify for a final at the NEC Championships last season in the 100 butterfly. She finished seventh in the event. In 2007-08, O'Connell has already won six individual events, including victories in both the 100 and 200 butterfly at the Crimson Hawk Invitational in mid-November. An Elementary education major, O'Connell maintains a 3.97 grade point average.
Bryce Luetzen • Saint Francis (PA) • Soccer	January 16, 2008
Luetzen, a key defender on the Red Flash men’s soccer team that reached the NEC title game for the second straight year, was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine All-America second team in November. He led a stingy Saint Francis defense that posted 28 shutouts during his career, including eight in 2007. A four-year starter and two-year team captain, he also contributed with three assists this past season. Luetzen is a Saint Francis and NEC Academic Honor Roll student who carries a 3.72 grade point average in Accounting.
Megan McClements • CCSU • Soccer	January 14, 2008
McLements was named the NEC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 after helping lead the Blue Devils to their sixth consecutive NEC Tournament. A three-year captain for the Blue Devils, she represented CCSU at the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association Senior Bowl in December. A Physical Education major with a 3.30 grade point average, she played a role in CCSU winning an NSCAA Academic Award for the seventh straight season.
Amy Paige • Long Island • Soccer	January 14, 2008
Paige anchored a Long Island defense that posted 20 shutouts over the last two seasons. A member of LIU's 2006 NEC championship team, she was recently selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District second team team. An LIU Honors student and a member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll, Paige majors in Biology. The senior from San Jose, CA carries a 3.90 grade point average.
Carisa Eye • Sacred Heart • Field Hockey	January 13, 2008
Eye, a junior, was named to the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association All-Mideast Region second team for the second-straight year in 2007. An all-NEC first team pick, she led the Pioneers to their eighth straight NEC Tournament with 13 goals and an assist on the year. The NEC Player of the Year in 2006, Eye is a two-time member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll and has twice been honored as a member of the NFHCA Academic Team. She sports 3.32 grade point average as a Psychology major.
Mark Szymanski • Robert Morris • Football	January 13, 2008
Szymanski, a sophomore defensive lineman, was tabbed to the ESPN The Magazine District II Academic All-America team in 2007. He ranked first in the NEC with 1.44 tackles for loss per game (13 total) and finished third in the conference with 0.78 sacks per game (seven total). He also amassed 60 tackles, broke up two passes, forced a fumble and recovered another to earn second team all-NEC honors. Szymanski is a Computer Information Sciences major at Robert Morris, and maintains a 3.33 grade point average.
Katja Bavendam • St. Francis (NY) • Basketball	December 8, 2007
Bavendam was a second team all-NEC performer in 2006-2007 after finishing ninth in the nation with a school-record 93 blocked shots. She also ranked ninth in the NEC in scoring (14.4 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (9.7 rpg). Bavendam is the Terriers' career leader with 184 rejections. The 2006-07 NEC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, she has qualified for the Dean’s List every semester since her enrollment and attends St. Francis on a Presidential Scholarship. Bavendam is an Information Technology major with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Piotr Czech • Wagner • Football	December 8, 2007
Czech was named to the all-NEC first team as both a placekicker and punter in 2007 following an incredible season that saw him capture NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on six occasions. Czech converted the three longest field goals in league history, including an NEC record 56-yarder this past season. He was successful on 16-19 field goal attempts in 2007, and also led the conference and ranks in the top-10 nationally in net punting average (36.7 per kick). A Chemistry major, Czech carries a 3.14 grade point average.
Ryne Nutt • CCSU • Football	December 6, 2007
A three-time all-NEC offensive lineman, including the first team accolades the last two years, Nutt has helped lead the Blue Devils to a 29-15 record and two conference titles over his four years with the program. He is a three-time Academic All-District honoree and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team in 2006. An Accounting major, he has compiled a near-perfect 3.98 grade point average.
Steve Tedesco • Sacred Heart • Football	December 6, 2007
Tedesco, a sophomore wide receiver, was tabbed to the all-NEC first team in 2007 after he led the conference and established a single-season school record with 59 catches for 737 yards. His 11 touchdown receptions also ranked first in the league. Tedesco was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District football team for his performance in the classroom. He maintains a 3.40 grade point average as a History major.