Athletics Press Release -- For Immediate Release
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008
Contact: Chris Kilcoyne, Sports Information Director
(804) 752-7387, christopherkilcoyne@rmc.edu
Six Yellow Jackets Named to VaSID’s Academic All-State Team
HARRISONBURG, Va.-- The Virginia Sports Information Directors recently honored 222 collegiate student-athletes for their performances both in the classroom and in competition as the organization selected the 2007-08 VaSID Academic All-State Team.
R-MC placed six student athletes on VaSID’s team for the 2007-08 year. Swimming’s Schafer Busch, Women’s Basketball’s Amanda Hiltunen, Volleyball’s Michelle Kutcher, women’s soccer and lacrosse’s Lacy Phelps, while Paul Johnsen and Tyler Watkins from the Men’s Lacrosse program were named to the team as well.
A junior at R-MC, Busch (Virginia Beach, VA/ Princess Anne) who is a political science major/international studies major, fashions a 3.59 GPA and her times in the 50free, 100 fly, 100 free style earned her All-ODAC honors this season.
A junior this past season, Hiltunen (Glen Allen, Va. / Hermitage) boasts a 3.73 grade point average while majoring in political science with a minor in journalism. She was named Second-Team All-ODAC and the ODAC Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Kutcher, a native of Freedom, Pennsylvania, led the Yellow Jackets with 340 digs, good enough for 4.71 per game.. A senior accounting major, Kutcher boasts a 3.99 cumulative grade point average and was named the ODAC Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year.
A dual sports standout at R-MC, Phelps (Baltimore, Md./Mercy) was named R-MC’s Susan Locke deNagy Award Winner for 2007-08. An ODAC All-Academic team selection on multiple occasions, Phelps fashions a 3.3 gpa in the classroom, while majoring in business/economics. She is also a member of Phi Mu Sorority and Omicron Delta Epsilon- Economics Honor Society and was named All-ODAC in both women’s soccer and lacrosse.
Johnsen (Laurel, Md. / Glenelg Country) was named Second-Team All-ODAC after a senior season in which he scored an R-MC best 23 goals from his midfield position and dished out five assists for 28 points on the year. Off the field, Johnsen sports a 3.61 gpa, while majoring in business/economics. He was named an Academic All- American by US Lacrsse and R-MC’s winner of the George P. Compton Award.
Joining Johnsen on US Lacrosse’s Academic All-American team was Watkins, who had 42 points on 20 goals and a team-best 22 assists. For his efforts, Watkins (Columbia,MD/Hammond) received Second-Team All-ODAC laurels at attack. Watkins is a member of R-MC’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, fashioning a 3.57 gpa, while majoring in sociology to go along with an Asian Studies minor.
The 222 athletes represent the largest group the organization has honored with the awards. Each Virginia institution, including NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, and independents, had the opportunity to submit athletes to be honored. To be eligible, student-athletes were required to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. The student must have achieved sophomore status, and he or she could not have been in the first season of competition at their current school. All athletes are either starters or key reserves for their team.
- Yellow Jackets -