The University of Akron Athletics
League-Best Ten Zips Named MAC Fall Distinguished Scholar Athletes
December 20 | Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Academics
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2019 FALL MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR ATHLETE RELEASE
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference has announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the seven fall sports during this 2019-20 academic season as a league-best 10 University of Akron student-athletes were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sport's Academic All-MAC Teams.
In addition to earning a conference-leading 10 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete selections, the Zips also led the league with student-athletes tabbed in six different fall sports.
Senior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) of women's cross country and junior Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) of men's soccer were repeat selections after being named MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes a year ago.
Garnering accolades for the first time were senior Nick Stricklen (Lexington, Ohio) of men's cross country, senior Haley Hess (Curtice, Ohio) and junior Lindsey Scarton (Berea, Ohio) of women's cross country, senior John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) of football, sophomore Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) of men's soccer, senior Ashley Amato (Pittsburgh, Pa.) of women's soccer and juniors Alexis Adleta (West Chester, Ohio) and Emily Weigand (Burton, Ohio) of women's volleyball.
In all, 69 student-athletes from the league's seven fall sports (men's cross country, women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's volleyball) were honored.
Akron had at least one representative from all six of its fall sports, led by a trio of representatives from women's cross country, while men's soccer and women's volleyball each earned a pair of selections and fotball, men's cross country and women's soccer rounded out the award winners with one honoree each.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a sixth-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the fall sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students, junior college transfers and graduate transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
New for this season, the selection for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete included all student-athletes that were recognized as All-MAC selections and Academic All-MAC selections from their respective sport, along with maintaining a 3.50 GPA and above. Previously, a voting process among the MAC Faculty Athletic Representatives determined the selection of the Distinguished Scholar Athletes. MAC membership voted for the change in recognizing the Distinguished Scholar Athletes during the Conference Spring meetings in June of 2019.
Later this winter and spring, the MAC will announce the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the remaining 16 winter and spring sports sponsored by the Conference.
2019 MAC Women's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (3):
*Mackenzie Andrews, Sr., 4.00 (Grad), Physical Ed-Adult Fitness (Toowoomba, Australia)
Haley Hess, Sr., 3.640, Exercise Science (Curtice, Ohio)
Lindsey Scarton, Jr., 3.873, Physical Therapy (Berea, Ohio)
2019 MAC Men's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (2):
Carlo Ritaccio, So., 3.575, Business Administration (Westbury, N.Y.)
*Daniel Strachan, Jr., 3.541, Integrated Marketing Communications (Lakewood, Ohio)
2019 MAC Volleyball Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (2):
Alexis Adleta, Jr., 3.814, Political Science (West Chester, Ohio)
Emily Weigand, Jr., 3.658, Accounting (Burton, Ohio)
2019 MAC Men's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
Nick Stricklen, Sr., 3.941, Exercise Science (Lexington, Ohio)
2019 MAC Football Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
John Lako, Sr., 3.70, M.B.A in Finance (Monroe, Mich.)
2019 MAC Women's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
Ashley Amato, Sr., 3.52, Nursing (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
*2018 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
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2019 FALL MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR ATHLETE RELEASE
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference has announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the seven fall sports during this 2019-20 academic season as a league-best 10 University of Akron student-athletes were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sport's Academic All-MAC Teams.
In addition to earning a conference-leading 10 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete selections, the Zips also led the league with student-athletes tabbed in six different fall sports.
Senior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) of women's cross country and junior Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) of men's soccer were repeat selections after being named MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes a year ago.
Garnering accolades for the first time were senior Nick Stricklen (Lexington, Ohio) of men's cross country, senior Haley Hess (Curtice, Ohio) and junior Lindsey Scarton (Berea, Ohio) of women's cross country, senior John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) of football, sophomore Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) of men's soccer, senior Ashley Amato (Pittsburgh, Pa.) of women's soccer and juniors Alexis Adleta (West Chester, Ohio) and Emily Weigand (Burton, Ohio) of women's volleyball.
In all, 69 student-athletes from the league's seven fall sports (men's cross country, women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's volleyball) were honored.
Akron had at least one representative from all six of its fall sports, led by a trio of representatives from women's cross country, while men's soccer and women's volleyball each earned a pair of selections and fotball, men's cross country and women's soccer rounded out the award winners with one honoree each.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a sixth-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the fall sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students, junior college transfers and graduate transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
New for this season, the selection for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete included all student-athletes that were recognized as All-MAC selections and Academic All-MAC selections from their respective sport, along with maintaining a 3.50 GPA and above. Previously, a voting process among the MAC Faculty Athletic Representatives determined the selection of the Distinguished Scholar Athletes. MAC membership voted for the change in recognizing the Distinguished Scholar Athletes during the Conference Spring meetings in June of 2019.
Later this winter and spring, the MAC will announce the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the remaining 16 winter and spring sports sponsored by the Conference.
2019 MAC Women's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (3):
*Mackenzie Andrews, Sr., 4.00 (Grad), Physical Ed-Adult Fitness (Toowoomba, Australia)
Haley Hess, Sr., 3.640, Exercise Science (Curtice, Ohio)
Lindsey Scarton, Jr., 3.873, Physical Therapy (Berea, Ohio)
2019 MAC Men's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (2):
Carlo Ritaccio, So., 3.575, Business Administration (Westbury, N.Y.)
*Daniel Strachan, Jr., 3.541, Integrated Marketing Communications (Lakewood, Ohio)
2019 MAC Volleyball Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (2):
Alexis Adleta, Jr., 3.814, Political Science (West Chester, Ohio)
Emily Weigand, Jr., 3.658, Accounting (Burton, Ohio)
2019 MAC Men's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
Nick Stricklen, Sr., 3.941, Exercise Science (Lexington, Ohio)
2019 MAC Football Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
John Lako, Sr., 3.70, M.B.A in Finance (Monroe, Mich.)
2019 MAC Women's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1):
Ashley Amato, Sr., 3.52, Nursing (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
*2018 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
Players Mentioned
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