Tuesday, May 27, 2008

56 MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO LANDMARK CONFERENCE SPRING ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

MADISON, N.J. --- The Landmark Conference has recognized 364 student-athletes including 56 from Moravian College by selecting them for the 2008 Spring Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll. The honorees were selected from all eight Landmark Conference institutions.

The Landmark Academic Honor Roll recognizes all spring student athletes of sophomore standing or older with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The student-athletes must complete the spring season in good standing with their team. All eight Landmark Conference institutions placed at least 20 athletes on the Academic Honor Roll and all eight winter Landmark sports were represented on the team.

The Landmark Spring All-Academic Team, which features two male and two female student-athletes from each Landmark institution will be released later this spring.

The Landmark Conference is in its first season of competition and includes eight like-minded institutions covering the Mid-Atlantic region. The Landmark held its first championships this fall, and sent 18 programs to either the NCAA or ECAC postseason.

Moravian had student-athletes selected from all eight of its spring teams that compete in the conference with the men’s track and field team leading the way with 13 honorees.  The women’s track and field program had 11 student-athletes earn Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll accolades while the baseball team had eight student-athletes honored. The women’s lacrosse and softball teams each had seven players make the honor roll while the women’s tennis program had five honorees. Both the men’s lacrosse and men’s tennis teams had two student-athletes make the honor roll as well.

Senior Nathaniel Tussey (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown Area HS) and junior Robert Shaffer (Pottsville, PA/Pottsville HS) lead the honorees for the Men’s Track and Field team, with both competing in the 2008 ECAC Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and Tussey earning All-America Honors at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. Junior Blair Magginis (Asbury, NJ/Warren Hills Regional HS) and senior Allan Fatzinger (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua HS) also competed in the ECAC Championships for the Greyhounds this year. The men’s track and field team won both the 2008 ECAC Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the 2008 Landmark Conference Outdoor Championships while tying for 17th at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

Also making the Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll were seniors Timothy Pagano (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West HS), Vince Pagano (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East HS), and Khizer Tariq (Bethlehem, PA/Saucon Valley HS), juniors Jared Henrie (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley HS), Timothy Murphy (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS), Jacob Tazik (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing HS) and John McCullough (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley HS) and sophomores Timothy Betz (Havertown, PA/Haverford HS) and Steven DeFazio (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS).

Leading the honorees for the women’s track and field team were sophomores Jessica Posimo (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil Academy), Rachel Riggs (Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg HS), Flora Robertson (Hawley, PA/East Stroudsburg North HS) and Rachel Beck (Churchville, PA/Council Rock South HS), who all competed in the 2008 NCAA Division III National Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Also making the Honor Roll were senior Katie Pulizzano (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS), juniors Stephanie Miller (Easton, PA/Easton HS), Kelly Williams (Tafton, PA/Wallenpaupack HS), Naomie Kachel (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin HS), Christine Kihm (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown HS) and Kayla Teeling (Milford, NJ/Phillipsburg HS) and sophomores Katelyn Chando (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) and Aliina Ross (Paoli, PA/Conestoga HS). The women’s track and field team won both the 2008 ECAC Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the Landmark Conference Outdoor Championships.

Senior Matthew Swartz (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore HS), juniors Thomas Czarnecki (Columbia, NJ/North Warren HS), Kevin Gambrino (Brick, NJ/Monsignor Donovan HS) and Joshua Hinkle (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) and sophomores Andrew DelRossi (Medford, NJ/Bishop Eustace HS), David Lengyel (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS), Joseph Melchionna (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney HS), and Philip Spence (Lafayette, NJ/Newton HS) were all named to the 2008 Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll. The baseball team ended the 2008 season with a 17-21 record.

Leading the honorees for the women’s lacrosse team are seniors Erica Spatz (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken HS), who was named to the 2008 Landmark All-Conference First Team, and Robyn Klem (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS). Also making the honor rolls were seniors Jessica Bodine (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown HS) and Marissa Moore (Bogota, NJ/Paramus Catholic HS), and sophomores Brittany Deiling (Chews Landing, NJ/Triton Regional HS), Katie Wise (Ardsley, PA/Abington HS) and Paige Warbrick (Souderton, PA/Souderton Area HS). The women’s lacrosse team closed out the year with a 9-7 record, which is the best record in school history.

The softball team honorees were lead by senior Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) and juniors Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) and Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS). Paly, DeBonis and Klepeisz were also both named to the 2008 Landmark Softball All-Conference First Team with Paly being named the Landmark Conference Player of the year and DeBonis being named the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year. The softball team completed a 33-6 overall record and won the inaugural Landmark Conference Championship to end the season.

Also making the honor roll from the softball team are senior Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS), who also earned Landmark All-Conference First Team honors, juniors Katie Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) and Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Byram Hills HS) and sophomore Danielle Massa (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS).

Leading the honorees for the women’s tennis team were seniors Rebecca Angstadt (Hamburg, PA/Hamburg HS) and Lindsey Hopper (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex HS). Angstadt was also named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Women’s At-Large First Team while Hopper was named to the 2008 Landmark All-Conference First Team in doubles. Junior Dyana Swan (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) was also named to the 2008 Landmark All-Conference First Team in doubles while senior Jennel Yelito (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua HS) earned All-Conference Second Team in singles. MaryKate Kelly (Beach Haven, NJ/Southern Regional HS) was also named to the academic honor roll. The women’s tennis team completed its season with a 10-6 record, which included winning the Landmark Conference Championship.

Junior Keith Feinman (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield HS) and sophomore Ian Box (Charlestown, MA/The Rivers School HS) were both named to the Spring Academic Honor Roll. Box was also named the 2008 Landmark Conference Player of the Year. The men’s tennis team posted a 6-8-1 record and competed in the Landmark Conference Semifinal match.

Making the academic honor roll from the men’s lacrosse team is senior Peter Coutros (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) and junior Christopher Danni (Macungie, PA/Emmaus HS). The men’s lacrosse team had a 4-12 record in only its fifth year as a varsity sport at Moravian.