Wednesday, May 28, 2008

FOUR MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO LANDMARK CONFERENCE SPRING ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

MADISON, NJ --- Seniors Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS), Erica Spatz (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken HS) and Nathaniel Tussey (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) and sophomore Ian Box (Charlestown, MA/The Rivers School) from Moravian College have been named to the 2008 Landmark Conference Spring All-Academic Team announced Wednesday.

The Landmark Conference has selected 32 student-athletes for the 2008 Spring Landmark All-Academic Team. Two male and two female athletes from each of the eight Landmark institutions were selected for the team which honors athletes who have excelled athletically and academically. Nominees could compete in any of the Landmark spring sports and must be a sophomore or older with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

The Spring All-Academic Team features 17 seniors, 12 juniors and three sophomores. In addition all eight spring sports sponsored by the Landmark Conference is represented with at least one student-athlete. The Landmark Conference selected an All-Academic Team for each of the three athletics seasons during the year.

Paly was a key component on the Moravian softball team that won the Landmark Championship and posted a 33-6 record. She was named the Landmark Conference Player of the Year and a First Team Landmark All-Conference honoree, had a team leading 51 hits, a .418 average and 30 runs while helping the team go 12-0 in Landmark play. Paly, who was also named to the 2008 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-East Region First Team, graduated with a degree in elementary education, history and mathematics.

Spatz graduates as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Moravian women’s lacrosse program. In her senior year, Spatz set school marks with 62 goals, 15 assists, 77 points and 57 ground balls while being named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team and helping Moravian to the best record, 9-7, in program history. Off the field, Spatz earned a degree in mathematics and elementary education.

Tussey helped the Moravian men’s track and field team win the first Landmark Outdoor Track & Field Championship, its first-ever ECAC Division III Outdoor Championship and place 17th at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. Tussey earned All-America status by placing fifth in both the 400-hurdles and 110-hurdles at the NCAA Championships. He also won 400-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay at the Landmark Championships. Tussey graduated with a degree in biology.

Box was a dominating force in men’s tennis for Moravian which reached the Landmark Conference Semifinals. He was named the Landmark Player of the Year in just his sophomore season as he went unbeaten in conference play at first singles. His record on the year was 13-1 in singles competition. Box is studying biology at Moravian and claimed a spot on the Landmark Academic Honor Roll in his first year of eligibility.