PSAC Announces Winter Top Ten Honorees
Lock Haven, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is pleased to announce its Winter 2012-13 Top 10 Award recipients chosen by the PSAC’s sports information directors. The PSAC Top 10 Awards are designed to recognize student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and in athletic competition.
Initiated in the 1997-98 academic year, the Top 10 Award recipients are given to five male and five females in each athletic season: fall, winter and spring. The Winter 2012-13 award winners are
Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro,
Aaron Dinzeo of California,
Hannah Heeter of Clarion,
Mike Kromka of Clarion,
Luis Leao of Mercyhurst,
Jen Papich of Gannon,
Brittany Rehrig of Lock Haven,
Scooter Renkin of IUP,
Kayla Shull of Clarion, and
Ryan Spangler of Shippensburg.
Both Clarion’s Kayla Shull and Tabitha Bemis of Edinboro have now earned their third slot on a Top Ten team in their collegiate careers. Shull was on the 2010-11 and 2011-12 winter season squads, while Bemis captured a slot on both the winter 2011-12 and spring 2012 teams. Lock Haven’s Rehrig of women’s swimming is a repeat from the winter’s team a year ago, while Clarion’s Heeter was named to the Fall 2012 team in the sport of women’s volleyball. Both Heeter and Papich of Gannon earned second team CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America® honors this winter.
Luis Leao of Mercyhurst, a first team Academic All-American, is the only male to repeat a top ten honor, as he earned a spot on the Winter Top Ten team for the 2010-11 season. Clarion’s Kromka is a second team Academic All-American, making him and Leao the only male PSAC athletes to claim Academic All-America honors during the winter season.
Swimming and wrestling athletes will have their opportunity to earn Academic All-America honors with the release of the CoSIDA At Large team announced in early June. Indoor track and field is combined with outdoor track and field as well as cross country for Academic All-American honors and will also be released by CoSIDA in June.
Of the ten recipients, three student-athletes were crowned the PSAC Champion Scholars of their respective PSAC Championships. Renkin earned the achievement as he led the Crimson Hawks to their third PSAC title in four seasons. Papich clinched Champion Scholar status alongside earning the PSAC West Athlete of the Year in women’s basketball, and Shull couldn’t be topped at swimming's championship site with a flawless 4.0 grade point average.
To be a candidate for the PSAC Top 10 Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials for their respective team. The winter sports eligible for consideration for the Winter Top 10 Awards are men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, wrestling, and men’s and women’s basketball.
At the conclusion of the academic year, all Top 10 Award winners from each season are eligible for the PSAC Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards, given to one male and one female candidate at the end of the academic year.
Listed below are biographies for the Winter 2012-13 PSAC Top 10 Award winners:
Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro University
Women’s Indoor Track & Field, Junior
Major: Health & Physical Education (Sports & Recreation Admin)
Cumulative GPA: 3.90
Was named the PSAC Championships Overall and Field MVP for the second year in a row after winning the long jump, triple jump, 60-meter hurdle, and 4x400-meter relay …set PSAC meet and facility record in 60-meter hurdles … qualified for NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, finishing 11th in triple jump, 12th in long jump and 16th in 60-meter hurdles … named the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Field Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row …USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region…was named the Most Outstanding Overall Athlete and Outstanding Field Athlete at 2012 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships … in 2012 won the PSAC indoor championship in the long jump and triple jump (also took second in 60-meter hurdles), and went on to earn All-American honors in both events at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships, finishing fifth in triple jump and sixth in long jump …was named the 2012 USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and later earned the same award for the outdoor season … at PSAC outdoor championships she won the long jump and triple jump and placed second in the 100-meter hurdles, setting school records in all three events … qualified for NCAA Outdoor National Championships, finishing 11th in long jump and 15th in the triple jump … was 2012 Capital One Academic All-American second team and PSAC Top Ten honoree in winter and spring … three-time Edinboro Scholar-Athlete and two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete.
Aaron Dinzeo, California
Men’s Indoor Track & Field, Junior
Major: Anthropology
Cumulative GPA: 3.90
NCAA All-American in 5K … USTFCCCA All-Region in 3K and 5K … All-PSAC in 5K … Placed seventh
at NCAA Indoor Championship in 5K with a time of 14:20.60 … Finished second at PSAC Indoor Championships in 5K after crossing finish line in 14:46.08 … Established a personal record in the 5K with a time 14:19.65 at Kent State, which was the fastest time in the PSAC this season and ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II … Provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 3K with a personal-best time of 8:23.05 at Kent State, which ranked as the third-best time in the conference…Two-time NCAA All-American (2011 XC, 2013 T&F) … Six-time All-PSAC in track & field (4x 5K) and two-time All-PSAC in cross country … Four-time provisional qualifier for NCAA Track & Field Championships (3x 5K) … Four-time USTFCCCA All-Region (2x 5K) … Three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic (2x XC) … Set school record as a member of the DMR in 2012 … Redshirted during 2012 outdoor track & field and cross country seasons … Two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete
Hannah Heeter, Clarion
Women’s Basketball, Junior
Major: Biology / Pre-Med
Cumulative GPA: 3.94
Led the PSAC with 16 double-doubles (10th most in NCAA D-II this year)…Only player in PSAC to average a double-double (14.4 ppg, 13.3 rpg) and one of just two in Atlantic Region…Led PSAC, 3rd in NCAA D-II in rebounding at 13.3 rpg, which are the most rebounds per game in the PSAC since 1999 and broke a 33-year old school record for rebounding average…Led PSAC, 29th in NCAA D-II in shooting (51.7 percent; 136 of 263)…4th in PSAC in scoring (14.4 ppg)…7th in PSAC in blocks (1.3 bpg)…14th in PSAC in steals (2.0 spg)…16th in PSAC in free-throw shooting (72.1 percent; 88-122)…Her 25 rebounds vs. Lock Haven Jan. 23 are the most rebounds in a game in NCAA D-II this season…2013 Second Team Capital One Academic All-American in women’s basketball…2012 Second Team Capital One Academic All-American in women’s volleyball…Fall 2012 PSAC Top 10 Award winner in women’s volleyball…2011 PSAC Champion Scholar Award winner in women’s volleyball…2013 Second Team Daktronics All-Region women’s basketball…2013 First Team PSAC West women’s basketball…2012 First Team AVCA All-Region women’s volleyball…2012 Second Team PSAC West women’s volleyball…2012 PSAC West Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Year & 2nd team All-PSAC West.
Mike Kromka, Clarion
Men’s Basketball, Junior
Major: Mid-level Math Education
Cumulative GPA: 3.89
Led team & ranked 5th in PSAC with 8.5 rebounds per game…Led team & ranked 24th in PSAC with
12.5 points per game…Ranked 27th in PSAC with 0.7 blocks per game…Recorded five double-doubles, 8 double-digit rebounding games and 19 double-digit scoring games with a pair of 20-point contests…2013 Second Team Capital One Academic All-American in men’s basketball…Two-time Capital One Academic All-Region (2012 & 2013)
Luis Leao, Mercyhurst University
Men’s basketball, Senior
Major: Biology
Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Scored 18.6 points (third in PSAC) and 6.7 rebounds (12th) per game this season…scored in double figures in 28 of 29 outings, while shooting 47.8 percent (ninth) from the field and 81.4 percent (10th) from the foul line…made 166 free throws, setting a new school record for a single season…led the team in minutes at 31.5 per game and tied for the team lead in blocks with 28, good for eighth in the league…recorded 48 assists and 42 steals-both second on
the team…matched a school record by starting 29 games in a season... scored his 1,000th career point against Cheyney this season…finished with 1,221 points, ninth-most in program history…averaged 17.4 points per game in his career, the fourth-highest per game number in Laker annals…notched 73 career blocks are tenth-most in school history as well…named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team last month.
Jen Papich, Gannon University
Women’s Basketball, Junior
Major: Environmental Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 3.957
Averaged 12.5 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game, 0.8
blocks per game, 0.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, 45.9 field goal percentage (151-329), 15 three-pointers, 73.3 free throw percentage (85-116)…PSAC Western Division Player of the Year …Daktronics All-Atlantic Region second team … All-PSAC Western Division first team … PSAC Women’s Basketball Champion Scholar … Capital One Academic All-America second team … Capital One Academic All-District II first team … two-time PSAC Western Division Player of the Week … became 24th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Career: Ranks 18th all-time at Gannon in points (1,098), ninth in blocked shots (80), 10th in scoring average (12.5) and 18th in rebounds (491) … named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete every year … received the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award every year … is a two-time Capital One Academic All-District II first-team selection … is a two-time All-PSAC Western Division first team selection.
Brittany Rehrig, Lock Haven University
Women’s Swimming, Senior
Major: Elementary Education
Cumulative GPA: 3.99
Became a seven-time All-American with 8th place finish in 100-yard breaststroke at NCAA Championships, 2nd in same event at PSAC Championships … 6th at PSAC Championships in 50-free (broke school record, hit NCAA B cut in process) … competed in three different events at this year’s NCAA Championships … She won the 100-breaststroke at the always strong IUP John A. Pidgeon Memorial Invitational in mid-November with NCAA B cut time. Arguably the most decorated women’s swimmer in LHU history … 7X All-American … 2012 PSAC Winter Top-10 Award winner … 3X Academic All-American … holds 9 school records…placed sixth (All-America) in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2011-12 NCAA DII National Championships with a school record time of 1:03.90…holds a Lock Haven record in the 50-free at 11-12 NCAA Championships with a time of 24.07 (finished 28th, jumped seed spot by over 10 places).
Scooter Renkin, IUP
Men’s Basketball, Senior
Major: Media Communication/Journalism
Cumulative GPA: 3.65
Started 24 games for PSAC Champions…Second on team with 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per
ame… Third with 91 assists… Led team with 40.3 three-point field goal percentage (48-119)… Averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and shot 17-35 from three-point range in IUP’s final seven games…2013 PSAC Champion Scholar Athlete… 2013 Capital One Academic All-District… Dean’s List… PSAC Scholar-Athlete.
Kayla Shull, Clarion University
Women’s Swimming, Senior
Major: Pathology & Audiology
Cumulative GPA: 4.0
Two-time NCAA Division II All-American. Placed 5th in 100 backstroke at nationals with a Clarion record time of 55.40…placed 16th at nationals in the 200 freestyle. PSAC Champion Scholar for second straight year …PSAC Champion in the 100 backstroke and 400 medley relay. Place 2nd at PSAC’s in 50 and 100 freestyle, plus the 200 medley relay… Helped lead Clarion to a 6-2 dual meet record, 2nd at PSAC’s and 17th at Division II Nationals….15-time NCAA Division II All-American …Placed 5th in 100 back at nationals in 2013 and 16th in 200 free; Placed 5th in 100 back in with school record in 2012, plus placed 14
th in the 200 free… In 2011 at nationals she was 5th in the 100 back and 12th in the 100 free, plus a 4-time A-A in relays…led Clarion to a 4th place team finish at the NCAA’s in 2011…In 2010 she was third in the 100 back and was an All-American in 4 relays, leading Clarion to a 6th place team finish… Shull has won the only 2 PSAC Champion Scholar Awards in 2012 and 2013 … She is a two-time PSAC Top Ten Award winner, four-time Clarion University Scholar Athlete …four-time PSAC Champion in her specialty, the 100 backstroke…2010 PSAC “Freshman of the Year” … four-time PSAC relay champion.
Ryan Spangler, Shippensburg
Men’s Indoor Track & Field, Sophomore
Major: Biology
Cumulative GPA: 3.831
PSAC Champion in DMR (10:07, ran opening 1,200-meter leg)…All-PSAC in mile (2nd, 4:14.35 –
runner-up to meet MVP Matt Gillette and were wire-to-wire 1-2)…PSAC place-winner in 3K (7th, 8:42)…USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree…2012 XC: No. 2 runner at regional meet (40th place)…57th at PSACs.