Tuesday, May 3, 2011

THREE MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES HONORED WITH LVAIAW AWARDS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Three Moravian College student-athletes, seniors Kerry McKinley (Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) and Amy Heffner (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland HS) and junior Abigail Schaffer (Easton, PA/Easton HS), were honored with awards at the 2011 Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Annual Awards luncheon at Starters Riverport Tuesday.

The LVAIAW is made up of seven schools, Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Moravian and Muhlenberg College.  For more information on the LVAIAW, visit www.lvaiaw.org.

McKinley was the LVAIAW Women’s Tennis Most Outstanding Athlete.  She has helped Moravian to a 10-6 record this season including the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship and a berth to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.  McKinley, who was the 2008 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and was on the 2009 and 2011 Landmark All-Conference First Team in singles, the 2010 Landmark Conference Second Team in doubles, has a 10-10 singles record this season.  McKinley won the Landmark Conference Championship match versus The University of Scranton with a three-set win at second singles to clinch the championship point.  In her career, McKinley has a 52-27 record in singles action, seventh in school history in wins, and she is 47-29 in doubles action, the second highest victory total in school history.

Heffner was named Moravian’s LVAIAW Outstanding Athlete for the school.  Heffner, who was named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team in 2011 as well as one of the Landmark Conference Tri-Players of the Year, led the Greyhounds with averages of 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season, and she was named to the All-Tournament Team at Gwynedd-Mercy College as well as the D3hoops.com Team of the Week presented by Scoutware twice this season.  She was named a 2011 State Farm® Coaches’ All-America Team Honorable Mention and Women’s DIII News Honorable Mention All-America, and Heffner was also named to the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team in addition to ECAC Second Team All-Star honors.  Heffner, who averaged a team high 31.4 minutes a game, also has made team high of 44 three-pointers to go with 42 assists, 36 steals and 15 blocked shots while shooting 80.2 percent (146-for-182) at the foul line.  Heffner, who was the Women's DIII News November Player of the Month, completed her three-year career at Moravian ranked fourth in career free throw percentage at 81.2 percent (272-of-335).

Schaffer was honored as the LVAIAW Outstanding Field Athlete in track & field.  During the indoor season, Schaffer won the NCAA Division III National Championship in the pole vault with an NCAA Division III meet and all-time best height of 4.17 meters (13 feet, 8 ¼ inches).  She also won the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship indoors as well as the outdoor title in her first year at Moravian.  Heim placed sixth the Women’s College Pole Vault Championship at the Penn Relays last week, and has the second highest outdoor vault of the 2011 season.  Schaffer is automatically qualified for the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championships to be held May 26th to 28th at Ohio Wesleyan University.  She will also compete at the 2011 ECAC Division III Outdoor Championships on May 19th & 20th at Moravian.