Wednesday, May 15, 2002

MORAVIAN HONORS SENIOR STUDENT-ATHLETES;
WOLFSBERGER & ABBATE NAMED SENIOR ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Moravian College honored its 2002 senior student-athletes at its annual Senior Athletics Awards Banquet Wednesday night.  Football and baseball standout Michael Abbate (South Plainfield, NJ/Bishop Ahr HS) was named the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete while cross country and track runner Heidi Wolfsberger (Moosic, PA/Riverside HS) was honored with the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete award. The Blue & Grey Scholar Athletes awards were presented to Wolfsberger and soccer athlete Scott Heydt (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS).  The H.T.D. Gillespie Award for outstanding service to Moravian's athletics program was presented to Dr. Brett Godbout.

Abbate, who helped the baseball to 13-25 overall record this season and the football team to a 5-5 mark, had one of the best baseball seasons in Moravian history. He set school records for games played (38), hits (43) and at-bats (131) while hitting .328. Abbate, who was named a Commonwealth Conference Second Team All-Star also had 34 runs scored, ten doubles and 27 walks, which each rank second in school history. In his career, Abbate set the Moravian marks for games played (133), at-bats (422), runs scored (118), doubles (27), walks (96) and stolen bases (39).  He is fourth in hits (118) and total bases (150). Abbate was also a football player at Moravian, catching 114 passes (fourth all-time) for 1,619 yards (third all-time). He was also second in career punt returns (81) and career punt return yardage (680). Abbate is a four-time member of the Middle Atlantic Conference All-Academic Team.

Wolfsberger is one of the most prolific student-athletes in Moravian history. She is a three time Middle Atlantic Conference Champion, a two-time NCAA Division III Mideast Region Champion and a three-time All-American in cross country, twice finishing as the runner-up at the national championships. On the track, Wolfsberger won the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship in the 1,500 meters at the indoor meet and she has been an All-American seven times in her career, including a runner-up finish in the outdoor 1,500 meters in 2000. Wolfsberger won 18 MAC individual and relay championships over four years and she was named the Most Outstanding Performer four times, twice indoors and twice outdoors. Wolfsberger, who has a 3.90 GPA with a major in psychology and elementary education, was named to the MAC All-Academic Team nine times in her career and she is a two-time Verizon First Team Academic All-American.

Heydt helped the Moravian men's squad to a 13-6-2 record this season, their first wining season since 1995, the Commonwealth Conference playoffs for the second straight season, and they led the team to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Mid-Atlantic Region semifinal match, the first time Moravian was in the ECAC Tournament since 1990. Heydt contributed three goals and three assists for nine points and he finished his career with 11 goals and 11 assists for 33 points. Heydt, who was a Verizon First Team Academic All-American this season, completed his degree in elementary education and psychology with a 3.92 GPA.