By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – July 2014) The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) announced its 2013-14 All-Academic Team, naming two from Morrisville State to its honorable mention squad. The Mustangs are an affiliate member of the conference for football.
Morrisville State sophomore Tyler Meyers (Central Square, N.Y.) and senior Juan Rios (Grahamsville, N.Y.) were among a record number 791 total student-athletes conference wide to receive academic accolades from the conference office.
To be eligible for the squad, a student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior who has competed in a conference-sponsored sport while achieving a minimum grade point average of 3.20.
“The academic success of our athletes is one of the main components to the mission of our program,” said head coachCurt Fitzpatrick.
“Both Juan and Tyler are great examples of what student-athletes should be, with their success in the classroom and the campus community, as well as on the field,” Fitzpatrick continued. “Our staff is very proud of their recognition and we are looking forward to having more Mustangs on the all-academic team in the future.”
Meyers appeared in three games for the Mustangs this past season at linebacker and on special teams, registering an assisted tackle.
The landscape architecture studies major at Morrisville State is a graduate of Paul V. Moore High and is the son of Valerie and Mark Meyers of Central Square.
Rios, place kicker for Morrisville State appeared in five games this season, converting two field goals and 16 extra points. His efforts on the field in the home finale landed him NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades, an honor received twice prior.
Rios earned his bachelor’s degree in technology management in May from Morrisville State. He is the son of Damarius Kutner of Grahamsville, N.Y.
NEAC announces 2013-14 Scholar-Athlete Selections; 33 Mustangs earn academic accolades
The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) announced its 2013-14 Scholar-Athlete selections, naming 33 Morrisville State College student-athletes to the academic honor roll that represents 11 different Mustang athletic teams.
“The academic achievement of the number of Morrisville State scholar-athletes is a clear demonstration of the commitment our students and our coaching staff have to success in the classroom,” Athletic Director Greg Carroll said. “More than anything, the efforts of the students themselves need to be applauded. Their success in the classroom speaks volumes about the opportunities for a great education that exist at Morrisville.”
To be named a scholar-athlete, students must achieve a GPA of 3.4 or higher for the fall and spring semesters combined while participating in a NEAC sponsored sport.
On the year, a total of 511 NEAC student-athletes from 16 member institutions earned the academic honor, spanning across 32 different states and 13 different countries.
The following student-athletes at Morrisville State were awarded scholar-athlete accolades:
*Nicole Achtyl (North Collins, N.Y.) Animal Science – Dairy Women’s Soccer
*Gilroy Alvarez (Guatemala) Business Administration Men’s Soccer
Chris Azzano (Oshawa, Ontario) Business Administration Men’s Golf
*Krista Baxter (Downsville, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Women’s Soccer / Softball
Paige Biviano (Cazenovia, N.Y.) Wood Products Technology Women’s Lacrosse
Jessica Chandler (Morrisville, N.Y.) Business Administration Volleyball
Jacob Chase (Cooperstown, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Men’s Soccer
Maura Conlon (Marcy, N.Y.) Human Performance & Women’s Basketball
Health Promotion
Zackary Cozzarin (Trumansburg, N.Y.) Animal Science – Dairy Men’s Soccer
Steven Dol (Ingersoll, Ontario) Human Performance & Men’s Golf
Health Promotion
Chelsey Downs (Attica, N.Y.) Agricultural Business Dvp. Cross Country
Byron Evans (Cazenovia, N.Y.) Automotive Technology Cross Country
Chenoa Fields (Rapid City, Mich.) Equine Science & Management Women’s Soccer
Dylan Frank (Rochester, N.Y.) Human Performance & Men’s Lacrosse
Health Promotion
*Michael Freier (Geneva, N.Y.) Agricultural Business Men’s Lacrosse
*Tim Freier (Geneva, N.Y.) Agricultural Business Dvp. Men’s Lacrosse
Cody Gaines (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) Agricultural Business Men’s Soccer
Brandon Hanks (Syracuse, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Men’s Basketball
*Alexis Hansen (Taberg, N.Y.) Equine Science Volleyball
Billie Jo Hinds (Blossvale, N.Y.) Human Performance & Cross Country
Health Promotion
*Amanda Hunt (Tunkhannock, Pa.) Equine Science Cross Country
*Matthew Kennedy (Cooperstown, N.Y.) Animal Science – Dairy Cross Country
Dylan Lyons (Camillus, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Men’s Lacrosse
Basil McKenzie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Network Administration Cross Country
Zachary McMichael (Bancroft, Ontario) Criminal Justice Men’s Golf
Michael Millis (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) Automotive Technology Men’s Lacrosse
Kylie Murphy (Nichols, N.Y.) Business Administration Volleyball
*Shawn Okula (Medford, N.Y.) Technology Management Cross Country
John Petriello (Carmel, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Men’s Lacrosse
Nicole Rice (Schenectady, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Cross Country / Softball
Bailey Rutan (Cincinnatus, N.Y.) Criminal Justice Women’s Soccer
Brendan Shannon (Stanhope, N.J.) Journalism & Communication Men’s Lacrosse
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Abraham Sutton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Human Performance & Men’s Lacrosse
Health Promotion
Student-athletes that are indicated with an asterisk have earned Scholar-Athlete recognition in previous academic terms.
“As a department we have worked very hard to develop strategies and support systems which promote academic success and it is very rewarding to see how effective they have been,” Carroll stated. “I think we are just starting to scratch the surface in this area, and are committed to reaching even higher standards in subsequent years.”
Carroll also acknowledged that much of the success of student-athletes in the classroom also stems from the commitment the Morrisville State faculty have in working with a large number of students that represent the institution across a variety of intercollegiate teams.
“The number of scholar-athletes we have at Morrisville State is a credit to our faculty and the willingness they have to work with our student-athletes who often have special restraints and demands on their time.”
Morrisville State saw a significant increase in the number of student-athletes receiving academic accolades in 2013-14, with more than 40 percent of the student-athlete body receiving recognition with Dean’s List and President’s List honors at the college. Also, the number of student’s receiving academic recognition at the conference level nearly doubled.