Tuesday, March 23, 2004

31 MORAVIAN WINTER STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College winter athletic teams had 31 members named to the 2003-2004 Middle Atlantic Conference Winter-All-Academic Team with at least three members from each of Moravian’s four winter sports and led by 15 honorees from the women’s track and field team.

To be eligible for the MAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be a starter or significant reserve, a sophomore, junior or senior and maintain a 3.2 grade-point average.

In addition to the 15 selections from the women’s track and field team, the men’s track and field team had seven members honored, while the women’s basketball team had six student-athletes. The men’s basketball team had a trio of student-athletes honored.

Leading the women’s indoor track and field team were juniors Julie Anderson (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) and Chelsea Mullins (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe HS) each winning MAC Championship honors. Anderson placed first in the weight throw with a toss of 14.5 meters (47 feet, 7 inches) earning All-Commonwealth First Team honors. Mullins earned All-Conference First Team honors with a first place finish at the MAC Championship in the 5,000 meters with a time of 19:03.55.

Sophomore Rebecca Moore (Easton, PA/Easton HS) was a First Team All-Conference selection after placing second in the pole vault, clearing 3.04 meters (ten feet). Junior Heather McGarvie (Medford, NJ/ Shawnee HS) finished third in the 1,500 meters with a time of 5:02.15 earning a spot on the All-Conference First Team. McGarvie also placed ninth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:28.11. Junior Margaret Benny (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua Area HS) earned All-Conference Second Team honors with a fourth place finish at the MAC Championships in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.86. Junior Kellie Smith (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge HS) finished fifth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:26.17 earning All-Conference Second Team honors.

Sophomore Sarah Mueller (Wescosville, PA/Emmaus HS) finished seventh in the pole vault clearing 2.74 meters (nine feet). Sophomore Stephanie Beitler (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh HS) placed eighth in the 400 meters with a time of 1:05.66, while sophomore Alexis Vergalla (Glen Gardner, NJ/Voorhees HS) finished eighth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 5:16.49. Sophomore Lauren Bahnatka (West Chester, PA/Henderson HS) placed ninth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 19:56.43.

Also earning spots on the MAC All-Academic Team are senior Jennifer Brief (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson HS), juniors Alicia Hernandez (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe HS), Eileen Weber (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS), and Alison Stoyko (Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin HS). Joining them is sophomore Bryn Lipovsky (Danville, PA/Bloomsburg HS).

The Moravian men’s track & field team placed fifth at the 2004 MAC Indoor Championships and had seven student-athletes on the MAC All-Academic Team. Sophomore Greg Rarick (Drums, PA/Hazleton HS) was a member of the distance medley relay team, which placed second, the third-place 4x800-meter relay squad, and he finished 13th in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:30.19. Sophomore William Shimer (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) was 21st at the MAC Championships in the 1,500 meters in 4:30.19 while senior Scott Silvoy (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) was unable to run and defend his title in the 400-meter dash due to a leg injury.

Other Greyhounds from the men’s track & field team that earned spots on the MAC All-Academic Team were junior Anthony Bisti (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddon Heights HS) and sophomores Grant Curry (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra HS), Casey Hoffman (Kempton, PA/Northwestern Lehigh HS) and Ian Nuno (Middletown, DE/Caravel Academy HS).

The Moravian women’s basketball team reached the postseason for the third straight season. The Greyhounds posted an overall record of 19-10 and hosted the Commonwealth Conference Championship game, falling to Widener University, 71-68. Moravian also participated in the ECAC Division Southern Tournament for the second consecutive year, falling to DeSales University, 73-63, in the semifinals.

Seniors guard Kim Hughes (Manasquan, NJ/St. Rose HS) and forward Tracie Shipman (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan HS) led the six Greyhounds that were named to the MAC All-Academic Squad. Hughes, who missed six games with injuries, led Moravian in scoring with an average of 11.8 points per game. She also added 52 rebounds, 46 assists, 41 three-pointers and 33 steals. Hughes finished her career ranked eighth in scoring with 1,222 points and fourth in three-pointers with 162. Shipman also had her senior season cut short by an injury, playing in just 18 games. Shipman averaged 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this year and had 24 steals and 18 assists.

Moravian’s other MAC All-Academic honorees from the women’s basketball team included junior guard Marion Berry (Avon, NJ/St. Rose HS), who had 23 points and 17 rebounds as a reserve, and sophomores Diana DeFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS), Catherine Golden (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) and Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS). DeFiore had six points, six rebounds and six assists in limited action while MacDonald added 28 rebounds and 25 points. Golden played in just two games due to a medical condition.

The Moravian men’s basketball squad had a 10-15 record this season. Senior guard Lucas Malishchak (Wanamie, PA/Nanticoke HS) led the Greyhounds with 113 assists and 52 steals while contributing 75 points and 57 rebounds in his final season as a starter. Sophomore reserves Adam Kaucher (Kintersville, PA/Palisades HS) and Tyler Tripucka (Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge HS) were also named to the MAC All-Academic Team. Kaucher had nine rebounds, seven points and four assists while Tripucka added three points and two rebounds.