Penn State’s 277 Academic All-Big Ten Honorees Third-Highest Yearly Total; Cross 5,000 Honorees All-time
July 1, 2015 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. –
The 135 spring/at-large honorees brings Penn State’s final 2014-15 total to 277 Academic All-Big Ten selections, third highest in school history. The Nittany Lions’ record of 296 academic all-conference honorees was set in 2012-13 and the second-highest mark was 285 in 2013-14.
Penn State Highest Academic All-Big Ten Totals (starting in 1993-94): 2012-13 – 296 2013-14 – 287 2014-15 – 277
Penn State has earned a total of 5,041Academic All-Big Ten honorees during its 22 years of full membership in the conference.
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Women’s track and field senior standout Katie Rodden was one of 13 Big Ten student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average for the spring/at-large sports.
The women’s lacrosse team, directed by Coach Missy Doherty, led the way among Penn State spring/at-large teams with 17 Academic All-Big Ten honorees. The women’s track and field team, led by first-year head coach John Gondak, was next with 15 honorees.
Three Penn State teams led the Big Ten in their respective sports. The women’s golf team, guided by Coach Denise St. Pierre, led the conference with nine Academic All-Big Ten selections and the women tennis team, directed by first-year head coach Chris Cagle, topped the Big Ten with eight. The women’s ice hockey team, led by head coach Josh Brandwene, was tied for the conference lead with 14 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.
The men’s golf team, directed by Coach Greg Nye, and the men’s tennis squad, led by coach Jeff Zinn, both tied for second among Big Ten schools with Academic All-Big Ten eight honorees.
Penn State Spring/At-Large Teams That Led Their Sports in Academic All-Big Ten Selections:Women’s Golf – 9 Women’s Tennis – 8 Women’s Hockey – 14 (tied for first)
Overall, the Big Ten Conference recognized a total of 1,447 students competing in spring and at-large sports.
The Academic All-Big Ten honors add to another banner academic year for Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Nittany Lion student-athletes, who have captured 19 Big Ten Championships and five NCAA titles since September 2012, consistently have been among the most successful in the nation in earning their degrees and academic success. Among some of the recent academic accomplishments are:
– Matt Brown and Laura Gebhart were selected first-team CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-Americans, with Brown earning the Academic All-American of the Year in the At-Large category. Penn State’s 189 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time ranks No. 3 among Division I institutions.
– Brown, the Nittany Lions’ Male Student-Athlete of the Year for 2014-15, also earned a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, Penn State’s 46th such recipient.
– A total of 101 student-athletes graduated in May, second-highest in school history, and 128 have graduated so far during this year, with more graduates expected in August.
– This past May, the NCAA reported that six Penn State teams have perfect four-year Academic Progress Rate scores of 1,000 and that 10 Nittany Lion squads earned perfect APR scores in 2013-14.
– Penn State student-athletes shattered school records during the 2014 fall semester, including a record 500 earning a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Among the 500 Nittany Lion student-athletes earning at least a 3.0 GPA, a school record 241 garnered Dean’s List honors during the 2014 fall semester by posting a GPA of 3.50 or higher. The combined average GPA was 3.08 among Penn State’s 31 varsity sports during the fall semester.
– Last October, the NCAA’s annual study of institutions across the nation revealed Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 89 percent compared to the 82 percent average for all Division I institutions. The 89 percent figure was second-highest, to Northwestern, among Big Ten Conference institutions.
For Penn State Athletics social media links, go to: GoPSUsports.com/ot/socialmedia.html.
Penn State 2014-15 Spring/At-Large Academic All-Big Ten Honorees
Baseball (8)
Name Year Major Hometown
Jack Anderson | Jr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Evanston, Ill. |
James Coates | Jr. | Management | Girard, Ohio |
Jordan Donmoyer | Sr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Lititz, Pa. |
Dakota Forsyth | So. | Business Administration | Bethel Park, Pa. |
Alex Malinsky | Jr. | Finance | Apex, N.C. |
Jake Pilewicz | So. | Business Administration | Sewickley, Pa. |
Taylor Skerpon | Sr. | Accounting | Sayre, Pa. |
Ryky Smith | Sr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | York, Pa. |
Softball (10)
Name Year Major Hometown
Reina Furuya | Jr. | Energy, Business And Finance | Waipahu, Hawaii |
Shannon Good | Jr. | Chemical Engineering | Horseheads, N.Y. |
Macy Jones | Jr. | Energy, Business And Finance | Ashburn, Va. |
Lexis Knief | Jr. | Journalism | Ramsey, N.J. |
Marlaina Laubach | So. | Liberal Arts | Macungie, Pa. |
Shelby Miller | So. | Health And Human Development | Suger Land, Texas |
Mia Monopoli | So. | Communications | Moraga, Calif. |
Maegan Tupinio | Jr. | Science | Wahiawa, Hawaii |
Christina Von Pusch | Jr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Devon, Pa. |
Alicia Walker | Sr. | Health Policy And Administration | Los Alamitos, Calif. |
Men’s Fencing (9)
Name Year Major Hometown
Howie Chan | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Walnut, Calif. |
David Gomez-Tanamachi | Sr. | Finance | Mexico City, Mexico |
Farzaan Karimi | Jr. | Risk Management | Medfield, Mass. |
Maxwell Kleeman | Sr. | Economics | Los Angeles, Calif. |
Adam Lewicki | Jr. | International Politics | Oakland, N.J. |
Alex Schneller | Sr. | English | North Billerica, Mass. |
Kaito Streets | Jr. | Management | Redwood City, Calif. |
Lars Swanson | So. | Economics | Mendham, N.J. |
Karl Oskar Tang | So. | Engineering | Stockholm, Sweden |
Women’s Fencing (6)
Name Year Major Hometown
Brianne Cavaliere | Jr. | Animal Sciences | Wayne, N.J. |
Kane Gladnick | Sr. | Advertising/Public Relations | Wynnewood, Pa. |
Teodora Kakhiani | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Clarisse Luminet | Sr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | Lyon, France |
Daniella Ortiz | So. | Liberal Arts | Bayside, N.Y. |
Rebecca Stanley | Jr. | International Politics | Willis, Texas |
Men’s Golf (8)
Name Year Major Hometown
Cody Cox | So. | Communications | Milford, Pa. |
James Dornes | Jr. | Finance | Lancaster, Pa. |
Christian Elliott | So. | Business Administration | Port Perry, Ontario |
Christopher Houston | Jr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Gilford, N.H. |
Alexander McDonald-Smith | Sr. | International Politics | Rockaway Park, N.Y. |
Shane Stewart | Sr. | Finance | Dublin, Ohio |
Jens Talbert | Sr. | Finance | Little Rock, Ark. |
Geoffrey Vartelas | Jr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Cromwell, Conn. |
Women’s Golf (9)
Name Year Major Hometown
Kendall Allen | Jr. | Advertising/Public Relations | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
Elyse Archambault | Sr. | Finance | St-Jean-sur-Rich, Quebec |
Ellen Ceresko | Sr. | Marketing | Jefferson Township, Pa. |
Grace Chung | Jr. | Finance | Richmond Hill, Ontario |
Meaghan Coleman | So. | Energy, Business And Finance | The Woodlands, Texas |
Katlyn Elliott | Sr. | Science | Peterborough, Ontario |
Kate Granahan | Jr. | Recreation, Park And Tourism Management | Allentown, Pa. |
Catherine Herrera | Sr. | Accounting | Houston, Texas |
Erin Michel | Sr. | Psychology | Mason, Ohio |
Women’s Hockey (14)
Name Year Major Hometown
Jeanette Bateman | Jr. | Accounting | Greeley, Colo. |
Laura Bowman | So. | Science | Minnetonka, Minn. |
Micayla Catanzariti | Jr. | Film-Video | Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. |
Hannah Hoenshell | Jr. | Science | Plano, Texas |
Jill Holdcroft | Jr. | Accounting | Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa. |
Paige Jahnke | Jr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | Oakdale, Minn. |
Emily Laurenzi | Jr. | Recreation, Park And Tourism Management | Townsend, Del. |
Sarah Nielsen | So. | Health And Human Development | Edina, Minn. |
Amy Petersen | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Minnetonka, Minn. |
Kendra Rasmussen | Jr. | Biology | Eagan, Minn. |
Kelly Seward | So. | Earth And Mineral Sciences | Williamsville, N.Y. |
Celine Whitlinger | Jr. | Biology | Boalsburg, Pa. |
Sarah Wilkie | Jr. | Health Policy And Administration | Ashby, Mass. |
Shannon Yoxheimer | Jr. | Recreation, Park And Tourism Management | Jackson, Mich. |
Men’s Lacrosse (11)
Name Year Major Hometown
Nick Aponte | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | West Islip, N.Y. |
JP Burnside | Sr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Garden City, N.Y. |
Dan Craig | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Shelburne, Ontario |
Jack Donnelly | Sr. | Science | Toronto, Ontario |
Drake Kreinz | Jr. | Management | Delafield, Wis. |
Ryan Mullen | Sr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | Hatboro, Pa. |
Tommy O’Neill | Jr. | Management Information Systems | Shamong, N.J. |
TJ Sanders | Jr. | Supply Chain And Information Systems | Orillia, Ontario |
Mike Sutton | So. | Health And Human Development | Sewell, N.J. |
Peter Triolo | So. | Engineering | Smithtown, N.Y. |
Kyle Zittel | Sr. | Science | Eden, N.Y. |
Women’s Lacrosse (17)
Name Year Major Hometown
Natalia Angelo | Sr. | Journalism | Ulster, Pa. |
Taylor Bleistein | So. | Liberal Arts | Bayville, N.Y. |
Megan Callaghan | So. | Education | Dallas, Texas |
Tatum Coffey | Sr. | Journalism | Island Heights, N.J. |
Heather Harman | Jr. | Recreation, Park And Tourism Management | Alpharetta, Ga. |
Danielle Lazo | Sr. | Biobehavioral Health | Stevensville, Md. |
Stephanie Lazo | So. | Health And Human Development | Stevensville, Md. |
Kelly Lechner | Sr. | Rehabilitation And Human Services | Silver Spring, Md. |
Jessica Loizeaux | Sr. | Recreation, Park And Tourism Management | Mullica Hill, N.J. |
Margaret McCormick | Sr. | Advertising/Public Relations | Eldersburg, Md. |
Jenna Mosketti | Jr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | Fallston, Md. |
Sarah Piazza | So. | Health And Human Development | Bel Air, Md. |
Natalie Schmitt | So. | Business Administration | Malvern, Pa. |
Emily Smith | Jr. | Rehabilitation And Human Services | Centennial, Colo. |
Abigail Smucker | So. | Health And Human Development | Bel Air, Md. |
Erika Spilker | Jr. | Communication Arts And Sciences | Severna Park, Md. |
Jane Truffer | So. | Education | Arnold, Md. |
Men’s Tennis (8)
Name Year Major Hometown
Matthew Barry | Jr. | Marketing | Lido Beach, N.Y. |
Marc Collado | So. | Engineering | Barcelona, Spain |
Nika Dolidze | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Alexander Fennell | So. | Kinesiology | Bala Cynwyd, Pa. |
Tomas Hanzlik | Sr. | Accounting | Prague, Czech Republic |
Christian Lutschaunig | So. | Business Administration | Richboro, Pa. |
Michael Reilly | Sr. | Economics | Raleigh, N.C. |
Roman Trkulja | Jr. | Management Information Systems | Toronto, Ontario |
Women’s Tennis (8)
Name Year Major Hometown
Ekaterina Blik | So. | Division Of Undergraduate Studies | Moscow, Russia |
Devan McCluskey | Jr. | Media Studies | Franklin, Tenn. |
Melissa Minniti | So. | Kinesiology | Gaithersburg, Md. |
Daria Sapogovia | Fr. | Engineering | Belarus, Minsk |
Taylor Shukow | Fr. | Communications | Boca Raton, Fla. |
Samantha Tutelman | So. | Business Administration | New York, N.Y. |
Katherine Whiteaway | Jr. | Kinesiology | Sawbridgeworth, England |
Jacqueline Zuhse | Jr. | Economics | Frederick, Md. |
Men’s Track & Field (8)
Name Year Major Hometown
Ryan Brennan | Sr. | Security And Risk Analysis | Chester, N.Y. |
Glen Burkhardt | Sr. | Mechanical Engineering | Kennett Square, Pa. |
Robert Cardina | Jr. | Advertising/Public Relations | Lancaster, Pa. |
Robert Creese | Sr. | Mathematics | Mt. Airy, Md. |