Tuesday, May 16, 2000

AZZOLINO NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Senior shortstop Zan Azzolino (Lodi, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy), who led the Moravian College softball team to a 26-12 record this season and a third place finish at last weekend’s 2000 NCAA Division III East Regional, has been named to the GTE Academic All-District II College Division Softball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

By making the All-District squad, Azzolino is now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for GTE Academic All-American® accolades.

To be eligible for GTE Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve. The College Division is made up of all the NCAA Division II and III Schools in the nation as well as all NAIA schools. Student-athletes from NCAA Division I schools are named to the University Division Teams.

Azzolino, who also graduated last weekend with a 3.58 GPA, set three school records for Moravian in four seasons. She is career record holder for assists with 320, in games played at 162 and she had the longest consecutive streak without a strikeout, 141 at-bats. In her career, Azzolino helped the Greyhounds post a 112-56 record as well as make the first three NCAA Tournament appearances in school history. Moravian also played in two Middle Atlantic Conference Championships with Azzolino on the squad and the team won a pair of Commonwealth Conference Championships.

This season, Azzolino led the Greyhounds with a .374 batting average with 40 hits in 107 at-bats. She added 24 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, three triples, five walks and just one strikeout in her final at-bat of the season. In the field, Azzolino led the Greyhounds with 70 assists and she added 55 putouts while committing just five errors at shortstop.

Azzolino was a member of the Commonwealth Conference All-Star First Team for the third consecutive year and she was also named to the NCAA Division III East Region All-Tournament Team for the second straight season.

Azzolino will now try and become the 17th GTE Academic All-American® in Moravian history and the 12th in the last seven years.