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PSAC Announces 2013 Fall Top Ten Award Winners

Thursday, January 16, 2014 2:30 PM

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Lock Haven, Pa. – The PSAC is honored to announce its 2013 Fall 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 Fall 2013 award winners are Robbie Bennett of Gannon, Vicki Davis of Bloomsburg, Aaron Dinzeo of California, Jill Edwards of Shippensburg, Hannah Heeter of Clarion, Lauren Impey of Slippery Rock, Colin Kimball of Mercyhurst, Liam Nadler of Gannon, Nancy Stehman of West Chester, and Tyler Zimmer of Seton Hill.

Both Heeter and Bennett are repeat honorees from the 2012 fall season, while six recipients were named to their respective CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America teams. Heeter, volleyball’s Academic All-America of the Year, is joined by first team honoree Edwards. In football, both Kimball and Zimmer were tabbed first team Academic All-Americans, while two-time AAA Bennett was placed on the first team in men’s soccer. Impey was awarded first team Academic All-America honors in women’s soccer.

Dinzeo is a three-time Top 10 award recipient, as he was honored in the winter and spring of 2013 for indoor and outdoor track and field in addition to being a 2013 Fall Top 10 honoree. Heeter is also a three-time recipient, as she was honored for volleyball in 2012 and 2013, as well as earning Top 10 status in basketball last season.

Stehman is the only 2013 Fall Top 10 recipient to have also earned a PSAC Champion Scholar award this fall. Stehman earned the award at the PSAC field hockey championship while holding a 3.98 grade point average.

Zimmer marks the first student-athlete from Seton Hill to be named a PSAC Top 10 awardee.

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 fall sports eligible for consideration for the Fall Top 10 Awards are men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball, football and men’s and women’s cross country.

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 2013 Fall PSAC Top 10 Award winners:
 
Robbie Bennett, Gannon
Men’s Soccer, Junior
Pinetown, South Africa / St. Benedict School
Major: Sport Psychology
3.952

Started in all 18 games of the season…Finished this season with 14 goals, 2 assists, 30 points, 3 game-winning goals, 4 game-tying goals…Led the PSAC in goals per match with the average of 0.78 and ranked second in points per match with 1.67…Ranks 21^st among all NCAA Division II players in goals and 31^st in points per match…Two-time Academic All-American…2013 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America First Team…Five-time All-Region Selection…Three-time Daktronics All-Atlantic Region First Team…Three-time All-PSAC First Team…2011 PSAC Freshman of the Year…Named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and received the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2ADA) Academic Achievement Award every year of his career.

Vicki Davis, Bloomsburg
Cross Country, Graduate
New Ringgold, Pa. /Schuykill Haven
Secondary Education/History
3.76

Named PSAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2013…Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCA…Won both PSAC and NCAA Atlantic Regional titles in 2013…Earned All-America status with an overall finish of 22^nd at the NCAA Championships…Became the first-ever women's cross country All-American in school history…Won at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships in the 3,000 Steeplechase and 5,000 meters…Davis was named a 2013 CoSIDA/Capital One second team Academic All-American last season.

Aaron Dinzeo, California
Men’s Cross Country, Redshirt Junior
Sidney, Ohio / Sidney
Anthropolgy
3.88

Earned All-America status for the second time in his cross country career…Finished 5^th overall at NCAA National Championships…Placed second overall at PSAC and NCAA Athletic Regional Championships…As an individual at Paul Short Run (Gold Meet) finished 6^th…Helped his program achieve highest-ever team finishes at both PSAC (4^th) and NCAA Athletic Regional Championships (6^th)… CoSIDA/Capital One First-Team Academic All-American…Three-time PSAC top 10 winner…Four-time NCAA All-American, 10-time All PSAC…Three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete…D2ADA Academic Achievement Award.

Jill Edwards, Shippensburg 
Volleyball, Senior
Raleigh, NC / Panther Creek
Supply Chain Management
3.618

Started in all 37 games this season…Notched 563 kills with an average of 4.23 kills per set which ranked her 12^th in Division II…Totaled 50 aces, 411 digs, 60 blocks, and 24 assists in 2013…Named to 2013 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team…Daktronics All-America Third Team…AVCA/Daktronics All-Region First Team…PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year…Four-time all PSAC East selection…Three-time CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District performer...One of two in PSAC history with 2,000 + kills.
 
Hannah Heeter, Clarion
Volleyball, Senior
Seneca, Pa / Cranberry
Pre-Med Biology
3.963

Started in 36 games of the season…Ranked 5^th in the PSAC in hitting percentage at .309 with an average of 2.62 kills per set and 0.77 blocks per set…Helped Clarion to the PSAC West title and a spot in the 2^nd round of the NCAA Division II playoffs…2013 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year in women's volleyball…Three-time Academic All-America award… 2013 Daktronics First-Team All-Region, AVCA All-Region, and First-Team All-PSAC West selection…2012-2013 PSAC Female Pete Nevins Award winner…2013 First-Team All-PSAC West selection in Basketball…2012 PSAC West Freshman of the Year in women's volleyball as well as 2^nd team selection…Four-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District Selection (3 volleyball, 1 basketball).
 
Lauren Impey, Slippery Rock
Women’s Soccer, Senior Graduate Student
Northamption, England / Northamption Academy
Masters in Adaptive Physical Activity
3.90
 
Named the PSAC Defensive Player of the Year… Impey was awarded first team honors for every award she was eligible for: 1^st team All-PSAC, 1^st team Daktronics All-Region and All-American, 1^st team NSCAA All-American…Helped Slippery Rock win the Atlantic Region title…Tallied 3 goals, 5 assists, and allowed only 73 shots on goal in 21 games this season…Two-time All-PSAC, two-time Daktronics All-Region, and two-time NSCAA All-Region…All-American and Academic All-American for every organization as a senior.
 
Colin Kimball, Mercyhurst
Football, Junior
Erie, Pa / McDowell
Graphic Design
3.962

Set school records this season for interception return yards in a game, 86 yards vs. Millersville…Totaled 151 interception return yards, with 2 interceptions returned for a touchdown…Finished in a tie for second on the team with 57 tackles with 40 solo stops…His 6 interceptions is tied for the most in the PSAC this season…Named to the 2013 NCAA Division II CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America First Team…All-PSAC West Second Team Selection and was named to the ECAC All-Star Team.
 
Liam Nadler, Gannon
Football, Redshirt Sophomore
Leipsic, Ohio / Leipsic Local
Political Science
3.903

Recorded 2,859 passing yards, a 59.4 completion percentage, with 16 passing touchdowns, 259.9 passing yards per game, 101 rushes, and 296 rushing yards…Ranked 24^th among all NCAA Division II players in rushing touchdowns of 14, 31^st in passing yards, 34^th in points responsible for (180)…Ranked third among PSAC players in completions per game, 4^th in passing yards per game, 4^th in points responsible for per game, 5^th in rushing touchdowns, 5^th in completion percentage, and 7^th in passing touchdowns…2013 Capital One Academic All-District II First team...2013 All-PSAC second team…Named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient each year of his career…Nadler broke the school's single-season passing record with 2,910 yards as a redshirt freshman.
 
Nancy Stehman, West Chester 
Field Hockey, Senior
Lancaster, Pa / Penn Manor
Special Education / Middle Grades
3.98

Started in all 20 games this season…Recorded 6 goals, 11 assists, 23 points, and 16 shots…2013 NFHCA/Longstreth Division II All-American Second Team…2013 PSAC Field Hockey Champion Scholar…2013 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America …Two-time All-PSAC Selection…She helped West Chester to the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year…Two-time NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner…Three-time PSAC Academic Honor Roll…Member of West Chester's two NCAA Championship squads from 2011 and 2012. 

Tyler Zimmer, Seton Hill
Football, Junior
Harrison City, Pa / Penn Trafford
Elementary Education Pre K-4
3.85

Totaled 93 total tackles, 57 solo tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries…Named 2013 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All- America Football Team as a first team selection…Daktronics Super Region I second team…PSAC West first team selection…Named Daktronics All Super Region I first team in 2012 …Named Don Hansen's NCAA Division II All-Super Region One selection.