Northeast Conference - 2009-10 Northeast Conference Scholar-Athletes

2009-10 Northeast Conference Scholar-Athletes

Award Recipients Excel On The Playing Field & In The Classroom

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For the sixth straight year, the Northeast Conference will recognize outstanding scholar-athletes during league basketball telecasts.

One Scholar-Athlete honoree will be chosen from each participating institution during NEC-televised men’s and women’s basketball games throughout the 2009-10 season.

2009-10 NEC Scholar-Athletes

Natalie Duckor • Quinnipiac • Tennis	March 7, 2010
Duckor was named the 2008-09 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year after leading all conference newcomers with 19 wins on the season. She was also a perfect 5-0 against NEC competition. Duckor, a #3 flight player, was also the lone Quinnipiac player named to the All-NEC first team and one of just two freshman to earn first team honors. She maintains a 3.75 grade point average as a Public Relations major.
Svetlana Simic • Long Island • Volleyball	March 7, 2010
Simic was named the 2009 NEC Volleyball Player of the Year and led the Blackbirds to their NEC record sixth straight tournament championship. A four-time All-NEC choice, she was also tabbed the 2007 NEC Libero of the Year. Simic wrapped up her career as the second player in LIU history with 1,000 kills and 1,000 assists. A member of the NEC's Academic Honor Roll, she has posted a 3.29 grade point average. Simic will graduate with a degree in Management.
Eric Detzel • Mount St. Mary's • Soccer	February 27, 2010
Detzel was named to the All-NEC second team in 2009 after finishing second on the Mount with four goals and nine points. He ranks among the top-10 in the programs's Division I history in goals (14), assists (nine) and points (34). Detzel has been named to the NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in each of his first three seasons. The junior midfielder is majoring in Computer Science/Mathematics and carries a 3.82 grade point average.
Alex DiMichele • Robert Morris • Football	February 27, 2010
DiMichele, a junior linebacker, is the fastest Colonial in school history to record 200 career tackles, accomplishing the feat this past season in his 18th career game. He led Robert Morris with 109 stops in 2009, his second straight 100-tackle campaign. DiMichele has been tabbed to the Robert Morris Dean's List in each of the last two years and was a member of the 2009 NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. A Computer Science major, DiMichele has posted a 3.21 grade point average.
Paul Armstrong • CCSU • Soccer	February 25, 2010
A four-year starter in goal for the Blue Devils, Armstrong stood in between the pipes for CCSU in its memorable run to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2007 that included wins over #15 Harvard and #6 Tulsa. This past fall, he participated in football for the first time in his life, kicking off for the Blue Devils the final two games of the season. Armstrong is a member of the CCSU Dean's List and NEC Academic Honor Roll. He is a Physical Education major with a 3.46 grade point average.
Selina Munoz • Long Island • Cross Country/Track & Field	February 25, 2010
Munoz earned All-Conference honors at the 2009 Northeast Conference Cross Country championships with an eighth place finish in a time of 18:51.07. She also won the 800 meter event at the 2009 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, clocking in at 2:14.68. Munoz is a member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll with a 3.45 grade point average. She is majoring in Media Arts.
Elise Merrill • Saint Francis (PA) • Swimming	February 20, 2010
Merrill was a participant on four gold medal relays (200 freestyle, 400 medley, 200 medley, 400 freestyle), and finished second in the 50 freestyle and 200 backstroke events to lead the Red Flash to their first-ever NEC Women's Swimming championship in mid-February. A member of the NEC and Saint Francis Athletic Department Academic Honor Roll, she carries a 3.44 grade point average. Merrill is majoring in Biology/Environmental Science.
Katie Marshall • Sacred Heart • Swimming	February 20, 2010
Marshall became Sacred Heart's first ever gold medal winner when she won the 200 butterfly (2:05.47) at the NEC Women's Swimming Championships in February. She is the school record holder in the 100 and 200 butterfly, as well as the 100 and 200 fresstyle events. Marshall also holds the distinction of being the first SHU swimmer to compete in U.S. National Championships; she finished 65th in the 200 fly with a time of 2:08.85. The two-time member of the NEC Winter Academic Honor-Roll is majoring in Psychology. Marshall carries a 3.37 grade point average.
Jackie Kearney • Mount St. Mary's • Lacrosse	February 18, 2010
An All-NEC second team selection in 2007, Kearney ranks seventh in Mount history with 79 career draw controls. The senior defender was named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll in both 2008 and 2009, and was recognized by the IWLCA for academic excellence last season. Kearney is a Mathematics major. She sports a 3.92 grade point average.
Beth Lloyd • CCSU • Soccer	February 18, 2010
A first team All-Conference performer, Lloyd helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2009 NEC regular season title and a berth in the NEC title match. She ranked second in the league with 11 goals and fourth with 27 points on the year. She also posted four game-winning tallies. Lloyd was one of eight CCSU women's soccer players to post a grade-point average of 3.3 or higher during the fall semester. An Exercise Science major, she maintains a 3.33 GPA.
Reyon John • Fairleigh Dickinson • Track & Field	February 11, 2010
John, a sprinter, won the 200 meters at the Metropolitan Championships with a time of 22.16 and qualified for IC4As by running 22.0 at the Great Dane Classic. He also took second in the 300 meters at the Patch Track meet and placed seventh in the 60 meters at the Met Championships. A native of Buccoo, Trinidad & Tobago, John is a Communications major with a 3.49 grade point average.
Brian Halling • Wagner • Cross Country/Track & Field	February 11, 2010
Named the Wagner Most Valuable Performer in men’s indoor track and field at the 25th Annual Senior Awards Dinner, Halling is the school record holder in the 5,000 meter run (15:12.36). He finished sixth in the 3,000 meters and eighth in the 5,000 meters at the 2009 NEC Indoor Championships. Currently a graduate assistant in Admissions at the college, he has been a member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll each semester of attendance and has earned recognition on the NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll. A 4,0 student, Halling majored in Mathematics and is pursuing a graduate degree in Education.
Courtney Landi • Bryant • Field Hockey	February 11, 2010
A 2009 All-NEC second team selection; Landi led Bryant in goals (eight) and points (18) as a sophomore and recorded two game-winning tallies for the Bulldogs, who finished tied for fourth in their first year of NEC competition. She has been named to the Dean’s List and NEC Honor Roll all three of her semesters and was also tabbed to the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll this past fall. Additionally, Landi was a 2008 NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad selection. She is a Literary and Cultural Studies major and carries a 3.79 grade point average.
Kurt Hoffman • Saint Francis (PA) • Basketball	February 11, 2010
A two-year starter and team captain, Hoffman leads the Red Flash in field goal percentage and is the team's third-leading rebounder. Named President of the Saint Francis Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2009, Hoffman was just recently named to the 2009-10 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 2 Men’s Basketball First Team. He is a Mathematics/Secondary Education major with a 3.81 grade point average.
Chris Antonino • St. Francis (NY) • Soccer	February 6, 2010
The senior goalkeeper registered a 1.19 goals against average and five shutouts this past season to rank fifth in the NEC in both categories. In league play, Antonino lowered his GAA to 0.96 and blanked four opponents. On the year, he posted an 8-5-2 recod between the pipes to help lead the Terriers to the NEC Tournament semifinals. Antonino majors in English and carries a 3.56 grade point average.
Dan Wright • Long Island • Soccer	February 6, 2010
Wright, a senior defender, started 34 games in his two years with the Blackbirds. In that span, he helped LIU post seven shutouts. Wright was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team this past fall and posted the highest grade point average (3.97) on a team that won both NSCAA and Northeast Conference Team Academic Awards. Wright is a Journalism major.
Michele Holzwarth • Fairleigh Dickinson • Golf	February 6, 2010
Holzwarth, a junior, was the 2009 NEC individual champion after she shot a seven-over 223 at the three round event. A year earlier, she became just the second player in league history to be named both NEC Golfer and NEC Rookie of the Year. This past fall, she earned three of the five fall weekly NEC Golfer of the Week honors, and finished first at the Yale Invitational and second at the Rutgers Invitational. Holzwarth has posted a 3.59 grade point average majoring in Management.
Daniel Bostock • Monmouth • Soccer	February 6, 2010
The NEC Scholar-Athlete award winner in men’s soccer, he helped lead the Hawks to an 18-2-2 record, a #5 NSCAA/adidas national ranking, the program’s third NEC title and an NCAA Tournament victory over UConn. He anchored a defensive unit that led the nation in goals against average (0.45) and ranked second in save percentage (.891). He was selected as NEC Defensive Player of the Year, the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and to the NSCAA North Atlantic Region First Team before culminating the award season with his selection to the NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-America Second Team and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team. Bostock carries a 3.59 grade point average majoring in Communications.
Steve Tedesco • Sacred Heart • Football	February 4, 2010
A three-time All-NEC wide receiver, Tedesco was named to the FCS All-New England Football Team and 9th Annual East Coast Bowl following the 2009 season. His 229 career receptions rank second in the league’s history and his 2,848 career receiving yards are fourth-best. Tedesco owns seven school scoring/receiving records, including career receptions, career receiving yards, career TDs scored (37), career receiving TDs (37) and receptions in a season (77-2008). The two-sport star is also a returning starter for the Pioneer baseball team in the infield, where he batted.326 last season. Named as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honoree in each of the last three years, Tedesco is a History major with a 3.55 grade point average.
Alyssa Jann • Quinnipiac • Basketball	February 4, 2010
Jann is a sophomore guard who has delivered from long distance thus far in 2009-10. She has drained a team-best 22 shots from outside the arc (through games of 1/21), while hitting on 40 percent of her three-point opportunities and 93.3 percent of her free throw attempts. A key reserve, she is averaging 5.2 ppg and netted a career-best 16 points at Miami on December 28. Majoring in Finance Studies, Jann maintains a 3.95 grade point average.
Kimberly DeLoreto • Sacred Heart • Cross Country/Track & Field	January 30, 2010
DeLoreto, a junior, was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2009 NEC Cross Country Championships after winning the individual title with a time of 17:58.1, more than 16 seconds ahead of the runner-up. She became the first Sacred Heart runner to earn All-New England, All-NEC and All-East honors twice in her career. The 2009 NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in cross country, DeLoreto has posted a 3.90 grade point average majoring in Psychology.
Doug Elwell • Wagner • Basketball	January 30, 2010
Now a fifth year senior, Elwell is serving as team captain and has started 19-of-21 games (thru Jan. 23) for the Seahawks. He is averaging 4.8 ppg and 4.3, has hit 27 three-pointers and is tied for the team lead with 24 blocks. The Staten Island native is also President of the Wagner Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). An Education major, Elwell is on track to earn his Master's Degree in May.
Dave Johnson • Quinnipiac • Basketball	January 24, 2010
Johnson, a freshman guard, is averaging 4.2 points per game in a reserve role for the Bobcats this season. In league play, he has contributed 5.9 ppg and shot 45.5 percent from three-point range. Johnson tallied a career-best 14 points against Monmouth on January 2nd. In his first semester at Quinnipiac, he compiled a 3.2 grade point average.
Jamie Baumert • CCSU • Volleyball	January 24, 2010
A team captain, Baumert concluded her career as a four-time All-NEC selection, including first team nods in 2007 and 2009. She was also the 2006 NEC Rookie of the Year and led the Blue Devils to four NEC Tournament appearances. This past season, she led the league in hitting percentage (.363) and blocks (1.24/game). A Deans List student in each of her semesters at CCSU, Baumert carries a 3.86 grade point average majoring in English.
Ali Kliment • Monmouth • Soccer	January 23, 2010
Kliment, a junior defender, was tabbed the 2009 NEC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-NEC first team for the league champion Hawks. She was also chosen as an NSCAA All-Northeast Region second team pick. The team captain’s successes extend to the classroom, as she was named a member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 First Team this past fall and has registered a 4.0 grade point average in four of her five semesters. Kliment is majoring in Political Science and has compiled a 3.99 GPA.
Christy Baldesberger • Robert Morris • Soccer	January 23, 2010
A junior defender, Baldesberger helped lead the Colonials to single-season school records for wins (eight), NEC wins (four), home wins (five), shutouts (seven) and goals against average (1.43). A six-time Dean's List honoree, she was recently named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Second Team. Baldesberger is an Elementary Education major. She sports a 3.82 grade point average.
Julie Geonnotti • Bryant • Volleyball	December 5, 2009
A senior captain who who played both setter and outside hitter for the Bulldogs this season, Geonnotti ranked second on the team in assists, third in digs and blocks and fourth in points this past season. She will graduate in the top-20 on a host of Bryant career lists, including career kills, assists, digs, blocks and points. A member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll, Geonnotti maintains a 3.79 grade point average. She majors in Marketing.
Alexandra Stein • St. Francis (NY) • Bowling	December 5, 2009
Stein has recorded a team-leading 187 average in 12 traditional games this season, including a 243 (highest individual game by a Terrier this season) during a November 14 win over NEC rival Fairleigh Dickinson. The senior, who has already rolled four 200+ games, serves as the Terriers' anchor bowler in Baker matches and has led St. Francis to an 18-7 record thus far in 2009-10. The reigning NEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in women’s bowling, Stein is a Physical Education major with a 3.69 grade point average.
Tayvon Jackson • Mount St. Mary's • Basketball	December 3, 2009
Jackson is a key reserve for the Mount, who currently leads the team in offensive reboundings. He scored a career-high 11 points against Goegetown on November 30 and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds versus Navy on November 28. The senior forward has compiled a 3.25 grade-point average while double majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science.
Adam Lawrence • Robert Morris • Football	December 3, 2009
Lawrence, a senior linebacker, was one of 37 student-athletes from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, an award based on athletic and academic accomplishments. He is also one of 17 players in school history to compile at least 200 tackles, finishing his career tied for 16th all-time with 207 stops. An Environmental Science major, Lawrence carries a 3.95 grade point average.