Lock Haven, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is pleased to announce its Fall 2009 Top 10 Award recipients today. The PSAC Top 10 Awards, which are selected by the PSAC’s sports information directors, recognize student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and in the area of competition. The PSAC Top 10 Awards are in their 13th season of existence, having been initiated in the 1997-98 academic year.
The Top 10 Awards recognize 10 outstanding student-athletes, five male and five female, for each athletic season: fall, winter and spring. The Fall 2009 Top 10 Award winners are Jeremy Deighton of Slippery Rock, Matt Freed of East Stroudsburg, Trevor Harris of Edinboro, Chris Lantinen of Edinboro and Dan Latorre of Bloomsburg on the men’s side while the women’s winners are Jessica Bennett of West Chester, Mary Dell of Shippensburg, Lindsay Foder of East Stroudsburg, Jen Harpp of Slippery Rock and Taylor Hilinski of Mercyhurst. Harris and Hilinski are both repeat winners, having also been honored as part of last season’s Fall Top 10, while Harris is now a three-time Fall Top 10 honoree. Both Dell and Harpp are also repeat Top 10 winners, but are being honored for the first time as a part of the Fall Top 10 for women’s cross country. They both were named to the Winter Top 10 last year as a part of the women’s indoor track & field teams at their respective schools, while Dell was also a Spring Top 10 winner last year as a part of the Shippensburg outdoor track & field team, making her a three-time Top 10 winner. Four of this year’s Fall Top 10 honorees were also named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans® by the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA) earlier this academic year: Bennett, Deighton, Freed and Hilinski.
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, up from the previous standard of 3.25 last year, 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 end of the academic year, all Top 10 Award winners from the entire academic year 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 Fall 2009 PSAC Top 10 Award winners:
PSAC Fall 2009 Top 10 Awards
Jessica Bennett, West Chester (Women’s Soccer)
Jeremy Deighton, Slippery Rock (Men’s Soccer)
Mary Dell, Shippensburg (Women’s Cross Country)
Lindsay Foder, East Stroudsburg (Women’s Soccer)
Matt Freed, East Stroudsburg (Football)
Jen Harpp, Slippery Rock (Women’s Cross Country)
Trevor Harris, Edinboro (Football)
Taylor Hilinski, Mercyhurst (Women’s Soccer)
Chris Lantinen, Edinboro (Men’s Cross Country)
Dan Latorre, Bloomsburg (Football)
Jessica Bennett, West Chester
Women’s Soccer, Junior
Littlestown, Pa./Gettysburg
Major: Elementary Education
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
The stopper on West Chester's 18th-ranked soccer squad ... quarterback of the midfield for the PSAC champions … she started all 22 games for West Chester, posting five goals, two assists and 12 points ... she accounted for three game-winning goals and converted her only penalty kick attempt … West Chester led the nation in three defensive categories behind Bennett's leadership (goals-against average - 0.22; shutout percentage - 77.3; save percentage - 92.8) … anchored a defense that limited their opponents to just 144 shots and 49 corners in 22 games...CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine/Academic All-America first team...CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 College Division first team...NSCAA 2nd team All-Atlantic Region...Daktronics, Inc., 2nd team All-Atlantic Region...1st team All-PSAC East
WCU AD Academic Honor Roll (all five semesters in school)...PSAC Academic Honor Roll (2007, 2008)...Team captain (2009).
Jeremy Deighton, Slippery Rock
Men’s Soccer, Senior
Broadview Heights, Ohio/St. Ignatius
Major: Marketing
Cumulative GPA: 3.69
Deighton led the PSAC and the Atlantic Region in scoring with 21 goals and seven assists for 49 points…He also led the league and region in game-winning goals with nine and hat tricks with two (including one in the NCAA Tournament)…He was named PSAC-West Player of the Year for the second year in a row…Also named Atlantic Region Player of the Year…First team All-PSAC, All-Region and All-America…First team Scholar All-America from the NSCAA…Third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American…Named MVP of the PSAC Championship game...Climbed into fourth on the all-time ledger for career goals and points at Slippery Rock…Captained the team…Led the team to PSAC title and school record 18 wins...Serves as member of SAAC…Charter member of Athletes for Forgotten Angels community service group that has traveled to Haiti and New Orleans to help underprivileged children…Dean's List…PSAC Scholar-Athlete in every season…Led the team in scoring in each of his four seasons at SRU…Two-time first team All-Region…Two-time PSAC-West Player of the Year.
Mary Dell, Shippensburg
Women’s Cross Country, Junior
Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs
Major: Biology/Secondary Education
Cumulative GPA: 3.976
2009 Division II Women's Cross Country All-American [21st place at nationals; 21:32]...2009 All-PSAC Women's Cross Country Athlete [3rd place; 21:54]...2009 All-Atlantic Region Women's Cross Country Athlete [3rd place; 20:15]...Finished among Top 3 competitors in four of six races this season...Earned national All-American status for sixth consecutive NCAA season dating back to the winter of 2008...Earned national All-America honors for the second straight year as the Shippensburg University women's cross country program concluded its 2009 season with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships...Dell concluded a memorable 2009 campaign with a 21st-place finish overall with a time of 21:32, an improvement of 62 seconds and 12 places from her performance on the snow-packed national course last year in Slippery Rock...She has continued to progress as one of the best runners in Division II and ran toe-to-toe with the best in the nation...Overall, her feat marks the sixth consecutive NCAA season of competition in which Dell has been an All-American, dating back to the 2008 winter track season...She earned All-PSAC honors and All-Region cross country honors for the second consecutive year with third-place overall finishes and was a Top 25 finisher at the Brooks Paul Short Run, which features a score of Division I runners...Overall, Mary has been a 2008 and 2009 Division II Cross Country National All-American, a 2008 and 2009 Division II Cross Country Atlantic All-Region Athlete, a 2008-09 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American (First Team), the 2008-09 Shippensburg University Women's Student-Athlete of the Year, a three-time All-PSAC Cross Country Athlete and was Shippensburg's recipient of the Helen B. Kraiss Award.
Lindsay Foder, East Stroudsburg
Women’s Soccer, Junior
Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley
Major: Speech Pathology
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
7 goals, 6 assists for PSAC's highest-scoring offense during the regular season...Scored three game-winning goals (hat trick vs. Chestnut Hill, two goals in 3-2 win at Millersville, two goals in 4-2 win at nationally-ranked IUP)...First team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District...First team All-PSAC East and third team NSCAA All-Region at forward...Has compiled a 4.0 GPA in her first five semesters...Second team All-PSAC East and second team Daktronics All-Region midfielder as a sophomore in 2008...9 goals and 7 assists; had two goals and two assists in the final three games of the season (PSAC semifinal, two NCAA playoff games)...Has led ESU to three straight PSAC playoff appearances...Helped the Warriors to consecutive PSAC semifinals in 2007 and 2008 and the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history in 2008...18 career goals and 15 assists in 59 games (16 goals in 33 games since moving to forward).
Matt Freed, East Stroudsburg
Football, Junior
Souderton, Pa./Souderton
Major: History
Cumulative GPA: 3.71
132 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks...Led PSAC in all three categories...T-12th in DII in tackles, t-20th in TFL and 23rd in sacks...First team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American...First team Daktronics All-American for the second straight year...Daktronics Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year...AP Little All-America third team selection for second straight season...Led ESU to Division II playoffs for first time since 2005...Warriors ranked 4th in DII in red zone defense, t-4th in 4th down defense and 6th in takeaways during regular season...Has 10+ tackles in 16 of 23 career starts (8 of 12 games in 2009)...20 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks in final game of regular season vs. Slippery Rock...14 solo tackles (tied for most in DII) at Kutztown...Had three games with two sacks (Bloomsburg, Slippery Rock, Edinboro - NCAA playoffs)...T-6th in DII with 11.5 tackles per game in 2008 (126 tackles, 11 TFL, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions)...First team Academic All-District in 2008 and 2009, the first two years he has been eligible.
Jen Harpp, Slippery Rock
Women’s Cross Country, Senior
Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield
Major: Exercise Science
Cumulative GPA: 3.93
Harpp earned All-America honors with an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships this fall…That placing is the highest of any Slippery Rock female runner in the program's prestigious history...She was the second PSAC finisher at the National Championships…Earned All-Region and All-PSAC honors with her performances in each of those championships…Placed fourth in each of those meets…Won the IUP Invitational and set a course record in the process…Lowest placing in any race all year was 11th at National Championships...2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American…Two-time All-America performer…Ran second fastest 5k in Division II last season…School record holder in three individual events and two relays…Member of the Dean's List…USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete honors in every semester…PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors in every semester…Posted perfect 4.0 GPA during this past fall semester.
Trevor Harris, Edinboro
Football, Senior
Waldo, Ohio/Marion Pleasant
Major: Math
Cumulative GPA: 3.50
Harlon Hill Trophy finalist for second straight year and regional finalist for third year in a row and selected to play in Cactus Bowl…Completed 269 of 402 passes for a school-record 3,304 yards with 24 TDs and 8 INTs…Ranked second on the team in rushing with 370 yards and 6 TDs…Also broke school record for total offense with 3,674 yards…Completions and attempts both rank second, and completion percentage (66.9 pct.) is third…Ranked second in the PSAC and 12th in Division II in passing yards per game (275.3 ypg.), first in PSAC and 15th in Division II in passing efficiency (151.7) and first in PSAC and 10th in Division II in total offense (306.2 ypg.)…First team All-PSAC West for third straight year and was named to Daktronics Super Region One second team…Led Fighting Scots to record-tying nine wins for second straight year, as Edinboro finished 9-4…Scots made NCAA Playoffs for first time since 2005, and picked up third NCAA playoff victory with 31-16 win at East Stroudsburg as Harris completed 28 of 39 passes for 298 yards with 3 TDs…That came nine days after undergoing knee surgery for torn meniscus…Missed last game-and-a-half due to injury…In Super Region One quarterfinal game set a Division II playoff record with 630 yards passing at West Liberty, completing 50 of 76 passes for 5 TDs…Also had 17 yards rushing to finish with 647 yards in total offense, with 2 TDs rushing...Two-time PSAC Fall Top Ten and four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete…Named to second team ESPN The Magazine District 2 College Division Academic All-American Team in 2008 and 2009…Holds every Edinboro passing and total offense record, and has following PSAC and NCAA career rankings...Earned following honors: Cactus Bowl participant -- 2009; Harlon Hill Trophy national finalist - 2008 and 2009; Harlon Hill Trophy regional finalist - 2007, 2008 and 2009; PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year - 2007 and 2008; PSAC West First Team - 2007, 2008 and 2009; PSAC West Second Team - 2006; PSAC West Rookie of the Year - 2006; D2Football.com First Team Preseason All-America - 2009; CDS Preseason All-America -- 2009; Football Gazette honorable mention All-America - 2008; D2Football.com honorable mention All-America - 2008; Daktronics Super Region One Offensive Player of the Year - 2008; Daktronics second team All-Region - 2007; Football Gazette third team All-Region - 2007; PSAC Fall Top Ten - 2007 and 2008; ESPN The Magazine Second Team College Division District 2 Academic All-America - 2008 and 2009...Holds the top four seasons in passing yards in Edinboro history, along with the top four years in total offense. In addition, holds seven of the top ten games in passing yardage and nine of the top ten total offense games…Threw for 300-or-more yards in 12 games. It had previously been done six times at Edinboro.
Taylor Hilinski, Mercyhurst
Women’s Soccer, Senior
Erie, Pa./HarborCreek
Major: Biology Education
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
Hilinski led the Lakers with 14 goals and 29 points during a successful senior campaign in 2009...She scored two goals in each meeting with nationally-ranked California (Pa.) this season...She paced the team in shooting percentage, and tied for the lead in game-winning goals and shots on goal...She was especially effective during the Lakers' late-season charge, scoring eight goals in Oct...Hilinski was named PSAC West Athlete of the week twice on the season...Hilinski, named to the 2008 PSAC Fall Top Ten with a 4.0 GPA, garnered CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team for the second season in a row, becoming the first Mercyhurst athlete to be named first team Academic All-America twice...She earned Academic All-GLIAC Team in 2007 and followed with academic honors from the PSAC following her junior season...The forward posted the seventh-best career goals and points totals in program history, with 43 tallies and 97 points...She also had 10 game-winners, and closed her career with three straight 10+ goal seasons, the sixth player to do so...She played a key role in the Lakers' postseason success in 2008, as Mercyhurst won the PSAC tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals after winning the Atlantic Regional title...Hilinski was named to the All-PSAC West First Team in 2009 after a second team mention in 2008. She earned ECAC All-Star honors in 2009 and Daktronics All-Region Honorable mention in 2008.
Chris Lantinen, Edinboro
Men’s Cross Country, Senior
Gasport, N.Y./Barker Central
Major: Print Journalism
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
Earned All-PSAC honors for third time with fourth place finish at PSAC Championships…Top finisher at PSAC Championships for Fighting Scots and helped team finish second…A week later was seventh at Atlantic Regional, as Edinboro again finished second…Edinboro's second finisher at Nationals, placing 70th, as Fighting Scots finished 12th…Finished third at Daniel Walker Invitational and was fourth at Wooster Relays...Three-time All-PSAC performer in cross country, and a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete…Finished 19th at PSAC Championships as a junior and 18th as a sophomore…Earned All-PSAC honors in outdoor track & field as a sophomore with third place finish in 3,000-meter steeplechase…Currently serving as the sports editor for The Spectator, the school's newspaper.
Dan Latorre, Bloomsburg
Football, Graduate Student
Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia
Major: Business Management/French (undergrad)/MBA Program (grad)
Cumulative GPA: 3.78 (grad)/3.69 (undergrad)
This season, Latorre 133-232 with five interceptions for 1,712 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 152 yards and four touchdowns and was named first team All-PSAC East for his play...Latorre was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II football first team in 2009...He finished his career at Bloomsburg second in school history in passing yards (7,370) and passing touchdowns (60) and first in completion percentage (58.1) and yards per completion (15.0)...He also set a Bloomsburg record for career rushing yards by a quarterback with 887 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns...He was twice named first team All-PSAC East and was the 2006 PSAC East Rookie of the Year...He led the Huskies to the NCAA playoffs twice including a berth in the national semi-finals in 2006 and the regional finals in 2008.