May 16, 2000

24 GREYHOUNDS NAMED TO MAC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- A total of 24 student-athletes from Moravian College’s spring athletic teams have been named to the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll announced Tuesday.

The women’s track and field team led the Greyhounds with nine honorees while the men’s track and field team had five selections. The softball squad had four players named to the honor roll while the baseball team had three honorees. The golf team had two selections and the men’s tennis squad rounded out the honor roll with one athlete honored.

To be named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll, 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.

Leading the women’s track and field squad, which won its eighth straight MAC Championship, are six sophomores including a pair that have qualified for the 2000 NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships at North Central College in Illinois, May 25-27. Sophomore Heidi Wolfsberger (Moosic/ Riverside HS) has automatically qualified in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters and she is a provisional qualifier in the 5,000 meters while classmate Emily Shertzer (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin HS) is a provisional qualifier in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. At the MAC Championships, Wolfsberger was named the Most Outstanding Performer for winning the titles in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 meters. Shertzer won first place in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the MAC Championships.

Other sophomores joining the duo are Jen Boberg (Lansford/Panther Valley HS), Erin Boyle (Philadelphia/Nazareth Academy), Tiffany Catalino (Bethlehem/Freedom HS) and Amanda Samok (Palmerton/Palmerton Area HS). Boyle placed fifth in the 800 meters and sixth in the 1,500 meters at the MAC Championships while Catalino was ninth and tenth in the same races. Samok finished 13th in the 800 meters and 14th in the 1,500 meters.

The Greyhounds other women’s track and field honorees included juniors Kate Westermann (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) and Leah Williams (Andreas/ Tamaqua HS) and senior Erica Landes (Reading/Muhlenberg HS). Westermann finished seventh in the 10,000 meters at the MAC Championships while Landes tied for sixth in the high jump.

Senior Tim Pfluger (Slatington/Northern Lehigh HS) leads the list of student-athletes from the men’s track and field team that placed fourth at the MAC Championships. Pfluger captured his fourth straight MAC Outdoor Championship in the 1,500 meters this spring and his seventh gold medal overall in the event. Fellow senior Jason Goldan (Neshanic, NJ/Hillsborough HS) was 18th in the 100 meters at the MAC meet and he was also a member of Moravian’s fifth place 4x100-meter relay team.

Two juniors and a sophomore rounded out the selections from the men’s track and field team. Junior Anthony Rediger (Sellersville/Pennridge HS) placed second in the triple jump at the MAC Championships and his was ninth in the long jump while junior Damon Rutherford (Reading/Exeter HS) was second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and fifth in the 5,000 meters. Sophomore Chris Colley (Easton/Easton HS) placed 19th in the 200 meters and he was also on the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams.

Senior shortstop Zan Azzolino (Lodi, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) paced the softball selections as she helped Moravian to a 26-12 record this season, the Commonwealth Conference Championship and the Greyhounds’ third straight appearance in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Azzolino led the Greyhounds with a .374 batting average with 40 hits, 24 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles and three triples. 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.

Joining Azzolino on the MAC Academic Honor Roll are junior pitcher/infielder Meg Ryan (Edison, NJ/Edison HS) and sophomores outfielder Summer Miller (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) and second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington/Northern Lehigh HS). Ryan played in just three games this season before a dislocated shoulder sidelined her for the year. She had three hits and four RBIs on the year while earning one victory on the mound. Miller was named to the NCAA Division III East Region All-Tournament Team last weekend after leading the Greyhounds with six hits in four games. For the season, Miller hit .370 with 40 hits, 13 runs, 15 RBIs and four doubles. Rentschler, who has started 82 straight games at second base for Moravian, had 25 hits and 16 RBIs this season.

Junior shortstop Mike Gill (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon HS) led the baseball honorees for Moravian. Gill hit .280 this spring with 23 hits, 22 runs, 20 walks, 11 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, three doubles and a homerun. Gill led Moravian with 84 assists and he helped the Greyhounds to a 14-20 record this season. Sophomore third baseman Bill Quinn (Lebanon, CT/Lyman Memorial HS) had a .328 average with 22 hits, 10 runs, eight doubles and two home runs while sophomore pitcher Brian Corvino (Pen Argyl/ Pen Argyl HS) pitched three innings in relief this season.

Senior Geoff Hood (Willow Grove/Upper Moreland HS) and sophomore Ricky Gower (Bath/ Bethlehem Catholic HS) led the Moravian golf team to a fourth place finish at the MAC Championships this spring. Hood tied for 34th at the MAC Championships with a 54-hole total of 264 while Gower tied for 38th at 265. Moravian had a 3-2 record this year.

Rounding out the Moravian selections to the MAC Academic Honor Roll was junior men’s tennis player Clay Smith (Bethlehem/Liberty HS). Smith had his best season for the Greyhounds, who were 7-5 this spring, with a 9-4 singles mark including 6-2 at second singles and a 7-4 doubles slate.