PSAC Winter Top 10 Honorees Announced
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is pleased to announce its 2021-22 Winter Top 10 Award recipients, chosen and voted on by the league’s sports information directors.
The PSAC Top 10 was initiated in the 1998-99 academic year, given to men and women who excel in both the classroom and in athletic competition.
The winners for the Winter are Ann Carozza (West Chester), Jalen Cloud (Cal U), Divonne Franklin (Cal U), Kyle Daggett (Shepherd), Rachel Johnson (IUP), John Paul Kromka (Pitt-Johnstown, Paige Mikesell (IUP), Joel Leise (Gannon), Emma Wright (Gannon), and James Sullivan (Millersville).
Ann Carozza
School: West Chester
Hometown: West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East
Sport: Women’s Swimming
Major: Special Education/PreK-12
Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Ann Carozza was a national qualifier in four individual events including the 200-Fly, 100-Fly, 100-Free and 50-Free, and became a national champion, and set a Division II record in the 100-Fly morning prelims at NCAA Championships. She helped all four of her relay squads set new PSAC All-Time Records at NCAA Championships and helped the Golden Rams to their 19th PSAC Title, claiming PSAC Championship crowns in the 200 and 100-Fly, and the 100/50-Free.
Jalen Cloud
School: Cal U
Hometown: Leechburg, Pa. / Kiski
Sport: Men’s Indoor Track & Field
Major: Criminal Health Counseling (Gr.), Criminal Justice (forensic science) with minor in Psychology (Undergrad)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0 (Gr.) / 3.51 (Undergrad)
Jalen Cloud was named the 2021-22 PSAC Field Athlete of the Year following a season in which he won the PSAC Championship in the triple jump. He also competed for the Vulcans in the men’s 4x400m relay and was a USTFCCA All-Region honoree for triple jump. Set Cal U school records in the triple jump with a distance of 14.83m (48-8.0ft) to win conference title.
Divonne Franklin
School: Cal U
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa. / Archbishop John Carroll
Sport: Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Major: Biology (Pre-Med) with minor in Chemistry
Cumulative GPA: 3.59
Divonne Franklin is an NCAA First-Team All-American in the 60m, while being named the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year and PSAC Track Athlete of the Year. She placed fourth in the 60m finals at the NCAA Championships and set all-time PSAC records in 60m and the 200m. Helped her team to its highest finish in track & field history at PSAC Championships.
Kyle Daggett is a CoSIDA Academic All-American in basketball while also earning First-Team All-PSAC for his play on the court. He appeared in all 29 games for the Rams averaging 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game shooting 60.0% percent from the field. Daggett also earned PSAC Athlete of the Week honors earlier in the season and scored 20 or more points in 10 different games.
Rachel Johnson
School: IUP
Hometown: Mohnton, Pa. / Ringgold
Sport: Women’s Swimming
Major: Employment and Labor Relations (Master’s); Hospitality Management (Undergrad)
Cumulative GPA: 4.0 UG / 4.0 Grad
Rachel Johnson is now a two-time All-American after placing ninth in the 100-Back and 15th in the 200-Breaststroke. She helped IUP to a 17th-place finish at NCAA’s. In the PSAC Championship meet, she was a PSAC Champion in the 100-Brast and aiding in the 800-Free Relay. Johnson was also the PSAC’s Champion Scholar for Women’s Swimming in 2022.
John Paul Kromka
School: Pitt-Johnstown
Hometown: Monroeville, Pa.
Sport: Men’s Basketball
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 3.92
John Paul Kromka is a 2021-22 First Team NABC All-American following a year in which he was the PSAC’s Defensive Player of the Year in the West. He led the Mountain Cats in scoring (17.5 ppg) rebounding (8.1 rpg), field goal percentage (67.7%) and blocks (87). He was tops in the PSAC in blocks per game (2.9) total blocks and field goal percentage. His total block mark also led NCAA Division II.
Paige Mikesell is a four-time NCAA All-American following the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships competing in five total events. She finished fourth in the 200 breaststroke, seventh in the 100 butterfly and the 200 butterfly and 14th in the 200 IM. She was a two-time PSAC Champion at this year’s league meet in the 200 IM and the 800 Free Relay. Mikesell is now a 15-time All-American and a 13-time PSAC Champion.
Joel Leise
School: Gannon
Hometown: Transfer, Pa. / Reynolds
Sport: Wrestling
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 4.0 Master’s / 3.79 Undergrad
Leise earned All-America honors finishing seventh at 197lbs at DII Championships. He was a First-Team All-PSAC selection this season ending the year with a 17-3 record with a team-high 12 falls, ranking fifth in DII in falls. He was 9-0 in dual meets and placed second in his weight class at the Super Region 1 Championships. He earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors for the fourth time in his career.
Wright helped Gannon to a 24-7 record and a second straight PSAC Championship run, along with a berth in the NCAA DII Tournament. She was named the PSAC Women’s Basketball Champion Scholar and MVP of the PSAC Tournament. Wright had 15 points and eight rebounds in the semifinal upset of top PSAC East seed, Kutztown and followed that with 19 points and four boards defeating Cal U in championship game.
Sullivan is a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection for the second time in his career after a 2021-22 season in which he earned First-Team All-PSAC East honors helping Millersville to its first PSAC East title since 2007. He’s scored 1,330 points in his career and has top-10 ranks for Millersville in career steals, assists and three-pointers made.
ABOUT THE PSAC
Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.