Lock Haven, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is pleased to announce its Spring 2012 Top 10 Award recipients. 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 15th 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 Spring 2012 Top 10 Award winners are Cameron Daugherty of Slippery Rock, Dan Johnson of East Stroudsburg, Tim Lahmers of California, Stephen Schelander of Shippensburg and Joe Wendle of West Chester on the men’s side; while the women’s winners are Tabitha Bemis of Edinboro, Samantha Eimers of Mercyhurst, Corinne Fitzgerald of East Stroudsburg, Rose Mascoli of East Stroudsburg and Kelly Nickerson of Gannon.
The list of 10 honorees features four repeat winners, including two that earned Spring Top 10 honors last year in Mascoli and Schelander. For Mascoli, this is her third career Top 10 award, as she was also a fall honoree this year, while Schelander earns the fourth Top 10 award of his career, including his third this academic year as he has also been a fall and winter honoree. In doing so, Schelander also becomes the second straight Shippensburg student-athlete to garner Top 10 awards in all three of the seasons in the same academic year after former standout Neely Spence accomplished the feat last year. He is the first male student-athlete to garner the trifecta since Mansfield’s Chris Cummings in 2007-08. Other repeat winners include Bemis and Johnson, who were both winter honorees this year.
Remarkably, all 10 of the Spring Top 10 winners were also honored this spring as CoSIDA/Captial One Academic All-Americans®. Daugherty, Johnson, Lahmers and Schelander were four of the five PSAC student-athletes on the first team of the men’s track & field/cross country Academic All-America team and five of the eight AAA’s overall, while Bemis, Fitzgerald and Mascoli were all on the women’s track & field/cross country AAA squad, with Mascoli on the first team and both Bemis and Fitzgerald on the second team. Wendle, who was drafted in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft earlier this month and is now playing professionally, was a first-team pick on the baseball team. Eimers was a second team AAA in softball while Nickerson, a golfer, was a second team AAA on the women’s at-large squad.
Additionally, two honorees were also recipients of a PSAC Champion Scholar Award during the academic year as the student-athlete with the highest grade point average at one of the PSAC’s 23 championships. Lahmers garnered the Champion Scholar Award at the men’s cross country championship back in October while Nickerson was the Champion Scholar Award winner at the women’s golf championship, also last October.
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 spring sports eligible for consideration for the Spring Top 10 Awards are baseball, softball, lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. At the end of the academic year, all PSAC 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 Spring 2012 PSAC Top 10 Award winners:
Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Sophomore
Fair Oaks, Pa./Quaker Valley
Major: Sport and Recreation
Cumulative GPA: 3.86
Recently named to Capital One District 2 Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-Academic Team and an Academic All-American … Named the 2012 PSAC Most Outstanding Overall Athlete and Most Outstanding Field Athlete at both indoor and outdoor championships, and also named the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year (both indoor and outdoor) … During outdoor season, qualified for Nationals in long jump and triple jump … Finished 11th in long jump and 15th in triple jump at Nationals … Won both events at PSAC Championships, with 6.13 meter jump in long jump and 12.14 meters in triple jump, both school records … Was second in 100-meter hurdles with school-record 14.08 … Took fifth place in the long jump in the College Women’s Eastern Division at the Penn Relays … Was named the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and was also recognized as the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year … She was named both the Most Outstanding Overall Athlete and the Most Outstanding Field Athlete at the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships … Broke numerous Edinboro school records this year and earned All-American honors in two events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Championships … Placed fifth in the triple jump with a jump of 12.20 meters, a school record … Was sixth in the long jump with a jump of 5.88 meters … Won both the long jump and triple jump at the PSAC Indoor Championships … Distance in the long jump was 5.92 meters, a school record, and in the triple jump 11.99 meters … In addition, captured second place in the 60-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 8.80 … Named to 2012 PSAC Winter Top Ten … Two-time PSAC and Edinboro Scholar-Athlete.
Cameron Daugherty, Slippery Rock
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, Senior
Jacksonville, N.C./Mililani (Hawaii)
Major: Criminology
Cumulative GPA: 3.53
National Champion in the pole vault with a clearance of 5.15 meters (16'10.75") ... Was the only athlete to clear 5.15m at the championships ... USTFCCCA All-American ... First team Capital One Academic All-District and first team Capital One Academic All-American ... PSAC champion in the pole vault ... USTFCCCA All-Region ... Best pole vault clearance in Atlantic Region ... Dean's List ... Graduated in May with honors ... Will return for senior year of eligibility in graduate program for parks and resource management in the fall … Three-time All-American ... Five-time national qualifier ... Two-time PSAC champion ... Two-time Capital One Academic All-District ... Three-time PSAC runner-up ... Four-time USTFCCCA All-Region ... USTFCCCA All-Academic every year ... Dean's List every year.
Samantha Eimers, Mercyhurst
Softball, Senior
Ripley, N.Y./Ripley
Major: Special Education
Cumulative GPA: 3.88
Led the PSAC in five categories this season, which included batting (.451), on base percentage (.540), runs (53), walks (28), and hits (74) ... Stole 24 of 27 bases as the Lakers' leadoff hitter while she blasted 10 homers driving in 30 RBIs for a .732 slugging percentage ... Nationally, ranked seventh in on base percentage … Daktronics Second Team All-American ... All-Atlantic Region First Team ... All-PSAC West First Team … 2012 second team Academic All-American.
Corinne Fitzgerald, East Stroudsburg
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Junior
Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills
Major: Psychology
Cumulative GPA: 3.93
NCAA qualifier and PSAC champion in 3000m steeplechase ... Made final and placed 10th at NCAA Championships ... Third in PSAC in 10K ... Scored 16 points over two events to help ESU finish as runner-up (best placement since 1982) … Two-time Academic All-District and first team this year ... Named a second team Academic All-American … Two-time NCAA qualifier this year, in cross country and steeplechase ... Set school record in 10:41.72 at Penn Relays ... Member of NCAA provisional qualifying DMR during indoor season ... Placed fifth in Atlantic Region in cross country ... In indoor track, has ESU's #2 time in 3K and #3 times in mile and 5K ... Outdoor track, has ESU's #6 times in 3K, 5K and 10K along with steeplechase record ... Five-time individual scorer at PSAC Championships ... Two-time All-PSAC in cross country.
Dan Johnson, East Stroudsburg
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, Senior
York, Pa./York Suburban
Major: Sociology/Criminal Justice
Cumulative GPA: 3.79
All-America and PSAC champion in decathlon ... Scored 6,925 points (24 points off PSAC record) to win title ... Eighth at NCAA Championships with 6,642 points ... Also placed eighth in PSAC in high jump … Academic All-District first team ... First team Academic All-American … PSAC Winter Top 10 ... PSAC champion in decathlon and heptathlon ... Holds school records in both events ... Six-time NCAA provisional qualifier before earning first trip to NCAA's ... ESU's first national qualifier and All-America in decathlon ... 2012 indoors: PSAC Field Athlete of the Meet and Field Athlete of the Year ... 15-time scorer at PSAC Championships (all eight times in multis, including five top-3's; seven times in high jump) ... Set personal records in six of the 10 decathlon events to win at the PSAC championship this spring.
Tim Lahmers, California
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, Senior
Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional
Major: Earth Science
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
Posted career-best time in 10K to finish 11th overall at 2012 PSAC Championships … Holds a perfect 4.00 GPA with a concentration in meteorology and dual minors ... Two-time Capital One Academic All-District (second team 2011, first team 2012) ... 2012 first team Academic All-American … PSAC Champion Scholar Award winner for cross country as the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the conference championship ... Three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete ... Four-time career qualifier for PSAC Track & Field Championships (2x 10K, 2x 5K).
Rose Mascoli, East Stroudsburg
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Junior
Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic
Major: Exercise Science
Cumulative GPA: 3.98
NCAA provisional qualifier in 3K, 5K and 10K ... PSAC runner-up in 10K, 4th in 3K and 5th in 1500 ... Scored 17 points over three events to help ESU finish as runner-up (best placement since 1982) … Two-time PSAC Top 10, including this past fall ... First team Academic All-American this year … Academic All-America third team as sophomore ... Two-time Academic All-District 1st team ... NCAA provisional qualifier in five events and scored in PSAC Championships in six events between indoor/outdoor track ... Won all four regular season meets in cross country, beating total of 609 competitors ... Placed fifth in PSAC and eighth in Atlantic Region ... Three-time All-America as sophomore (cross country, 5K and 10K in outdoor track) ... Holds ESU records in outdoor 3K, 5K and 10K ... Did not compete in indoor track during first two seasons ... 11-time scorer in PSAC Championships ... Two-time All-PSAC and All-Region in cross country.
Kelly Nickerson, Gannon
Women’s Golf, Senior
Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-LaSalle
Major: Sport & Exercise Science/Pre-Physical Therapy
Cumulative GPA: 4.00
16 rounds, 83.3 average, low round of 77 … Was the 2011-12 PSAC Women's Golf Champion Scholar ... Has been a PSAC Scholar-Athlete every season ... Received the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award the last two seasons ... Named to the 2010-11 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-America Scholar Team ... Named to the All-PSAC second team as a junior ... Has a career average of 83.9 through 69 career rounds ... Finished eighth at this year's PSAC Championships ... Had two top-10 finishes and three top-15 finishes … Named a second team women’s at-large Academic All-American.
Stephen Schelander, Shippensburg
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, Senior
Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg
Major: Sociology
Cumulative GPA: 3.80
2011-12 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a first team Academic All-America selection … Was a NCAA qualifier in the 1,500 meters, finishing ninth in the finals (just one spot shy of All-America honors) … All-PSAC in 5K (second, 14:59.05) … All-PSAC in 1,500 (third, 3:52.58) … Was nation’s sixth-fastest seed in 1,500 meters for the season … Graduated summa cum laude in May with a degree in sociology and a minor in business … Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection … Made five appearances at NCAA meets in his career (three in cross country, once indoors and once outdoors) … 2010-11 SU Student-Athlete of the Year … Three-time PSAC Top 10 Award winner (Winter ‘11-12, Fall ‘11-12, Spring ‘10-11) ... Track: 17-time PSAC placewinner and a 12-time All-PSAC award winner … Three-time USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic award winner … Named the overall MVP of the 2012 PSAC Indoor Championships after finishing with a PSAC title in the mile, a second-place finish in the 3K and a championship in the DMR as its anchor leg … Ran opening leg of the DMR that broke the all-time PSAC record at the PSU National Invitational (9:47.57) … Ran the anchor leg of the DMR at the 2012 NCAA D-II Indoor Championships that earned All-America honors (3rd, 9:56.36) … USTFCCCA All-Region in mile, 5K and DMR … Earned All-PSAC finishes in 2011 in the outdoor 1,500 (second place) and 5K (third place) to help Shippensburg culminate its season with the first PSAC men’s “Triple Crown” in league history … USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the 1,500 meters and 5K … Previous All-PSAC finishes with indoor 4x800-meter relay squad and outdoor 5K … XC: Three-time All-PSAC cross country performer … Three-time All-Atlantic Region XC performer … SU’s No. 1 runner in all six of his races in 2011, including 41st-place finish at national championships … SU’s No. 2 XC runner at 2010 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships and 2010 NCAA National Championships after finishing as SU’s No. 1 runner at the 2010 PSAC Championships … Raiders won their first XC PSAC title in school history in 2010 … Aided SU to a seventh-place finish at 2010 nationals … Finished 50th at 2010 NCAA National Championships (31:53 in 10K).
Joe Wendle, West Chester
Baseball, Senior
Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove
Major: Pre-Physical Therapy
Cumulative GPA: 3.59
.399 BA (79-for-198); 64 R; 19 2Bs, 9 3Bs, 12 HRs, 59 RBI; .768 slg pct; .79 on-base pct; 12 of 13 SB attempts; .967 fldg pct … Led WCU to national championship and was later drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the sixth round of the MLB Draft ... First team All-America (ABCA, NCBWA, Daktronics) ... First team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America ... PSAC East Player of the Year ... National finals all-tournament team ... Won triple crown in PSAC ... Ranked among Top 10 in 11 offensive categories all-time at WCU ... 3x first team All-PSAC East ... 2x Tino Martinez Award semifinalist ... 2011 WCU Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... Member of Dean's List ... 3x PSAC Academic Honor Roll ... 3x D2 ADA Academic Honor Roll ... 7x WCU AD Academic Honor Roll.