MAC Senior Scholar-Athlete Archive


ANNVILLE, Pa. (Academic News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) will be announcing its 20 Winter and Spring Senior Scholar-Athletes below daily (Monday-Friday) from April 20-30.
 
A senior student-athlete from each of the nine winter sports (men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track & field and wrestling) and 11 spring sports (men’s volleyball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and men’s and women’s tennis) are being recognized for their strong academic and athletic prowess.
 
Check back each day (April 20-30; Monday-Friday) at 9 a.m. on this release as we highlight these prestigious award recipients. We will also spotlight the recipients on our social media accounts.


RAY MCDERMOTT
Men’s Tennis – Stevenson University
Ray McDermott (Bel Air, Md.) led the Mustangs to the 2019 MAC Commonwealth title and an NCAA Division III Championship berth. McDermott was named the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and All-MAC First Team honors a season ago. In the same season, he finished runner-up in the No. 2 singles flight at the MAC Individual Championship. In his sophomore season, he was named to the All-MAC Commonwealth Second Team.

McDermott is majoring in digital marketing with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.68 grade-point average (GPA). McDermott has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll and to the Men’s Golf Academic All-MAC Team.
 
 
MARA TRIFOI
Women’s Tennis – Albright College
Mara Trifoi (Wyomissing, Pa.) is a two-time MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year and All-MAC Commonwealth First Team honoree (2017, 2018). In 2017, Trifoi was also named the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year.

Triifoi is majoring in biology with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.98 grade-point average (GPA). Trifoi has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll each season, and is a two-time Women’s Tennis Academic All-MAC selection.


CHRIS DURNING
Men’s Lacrosse – Eastern University
Chris Durning (Havertown, Pa.) is a two-time All-MAC Freedom First Team selection on defense (2018, 2019). In 2017, he was named All-MAC Freedom Honorable Mention. In 2019, he led the conference with 135 groundballs. In 2018, he led the Eagles to the MAC Freedom title and an NCAA Division III Championship berth. Durning was recently named a 2020 Maverik Division III Media All-America Honorable Mention honoree.
 
Durning is double-majoring in accounting and finance with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.79 grade-point average (GPA). Durning has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll and to the Men’s Lacrosse Academic All-MAC Team.
 
 
KYRA BEDNARSKI
Women’s Lacrosse – Stevens Institute of Technology
Kyra Bednarski (Syracuse, N.Y.) is a two-time all-American (IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse) and was recently named the 2020 Inside Lacrosse Division III Player of the Year after opening the season with 25 points in five games. Bednarski is a two-time Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year (2018, 2019), and was named the 2017 Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year. She is a three-time All-Empire 8 Conference First Team selection, and a three-time IWLCA All-Region honoree.

Bednarski is majoring in mechanical engineering with an expected undergraduate graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.47 grade-point average (GPA).


COLIN BURDEN
Men’s Golf – Eastern University
Colin Burden (Mt. Airy, Md.) is a three-time All-MAC Freedom Second Team honoree and was named the 2017 MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year. At the MAC Freedom Championship, Burden finished in ninth (2019, 2018) and tenth (2017). In his six rounds at MAC Championships, Burden posted three birdies and only eight holes worse than bogey.
 
Burden is double-majoring in chemistry and philosophy with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently has a 3.98 grade-point average (GPA). Burden is a three-time Men’s Golf Academic All-MAC selection and has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll each season.
 
 
JULIA KLINE
Women’s Golf – Stevenson University
Julia Kline (Brigantine, N.J.) won the 2019 MAC Women’s Golf Individual Title to be named MAC Golfer of the Year with All-MAC First Team honors. She was also named to the All-MAC Second Team in 2017. Kline led the Mustangs to the 2019 MAC Team Title and a berth to the NCAA Division III Championship. In 2017, she finished seventh overall at the MAC Championship to earn all-conference honors. In 2018, she finished in 14^th-place.

Kline is majoring in accounting with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.56 grade-point average (GPA). Kline has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll and to the Women’s Golf Academic All-MAC Team.


BRAD SAWYER
Baseball – Hood College
Brad Sawyer (Laytonsville, Md.) is two-time All-MAC Commonwealth selection, earning first-team honors in 2019 and second-team honors in 2018. Sawyer was named to the D3baseball.com All-Region Second Team in 2019. He led the Blazers to the 2019 MAC Commonwealth regular-season title and top-seed in the conference tournament. He holds Hood’s records in career hitting (.382 BA; .476 OBP) and career pitching  (nine pick-offs) records. Sawyer ranks in the top-10 in program history in 37 categories.

Sawyer is majoring in business administration with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.9 grade-point average (GPA). Sawyer has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll three times, and to the Baseball Academic All-MAC Team twice. He has been named to the Hood College Dean’s List every semester and to the President’s List twice.
 
 
MARY PAT MURRAY
Softball – Arcadia University
Mary Pat Murray (Bellmawr, N.J.) is a three-time All-MAC Commonwealth selection, including a first-team pitcher the previous two seasons. In 2019, Murray was named the MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year. After leading the Knights to the 2019 MAC Commonwealth Title, she led Arcadia to the NCAA Division III Ewing Regional Title Round. She was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team. Murray was named to the NFCA All-Region First Team in 2019.
 
Murray is majoring in global media with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.77 grade-point average (GPA). Murray has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll, as well as the 2019 Softball Academic All-MAC squad. She was named a 2019 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete. Murray earned a CoSIDA Academic All-District nod in 2019.


TROY STANICH
Wrestling – Stevens Institute of Technology
Troy Stanich (Succasunna, N.J.) is a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier. Stanich won four conference titles and three regional titles. While in the Centennial Conference, he was named the Rookie of the Year (2017) and Wrestler of the Year (2019) and won two 133 pound titles (2017, 2018) and a 141 pound title (2019). In the MAC, Stanich won the 141 pound title and was named the 2020 MAC Wrestler of the Year. He is a three-time NCAA Regional Title winner (2017, 2018, 2020). Stanich finished his collegiate career with a 152-7 overall record (67 wins by fall). He was named the 2020 NCAA Division III Most Dominant Wrestler. On Thursday, Stanich was named the D3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Year.

Stanich is majoring in mechanical engineering with an expected undergraduate graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.48 grade-point average (GPA). Stanich is a four-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
 
 
DAVID LEHMAN
Men’s Volleyball – Stevens Institute of Technology
David Lehman (Oakland, Calif.) is a four-time AVCA Division III All-American, earning first-team honors in each of the previous three seasons. Lehman is a three-time All-United Volleyball Conference selection, including first-team honors in both 2018 and 2019. He was named the 2019 UVC Player of the Year. Lehman ranks in the top-10 in program history in career kills, kills per set and points per set. Stevens won the UVC title in 2018, and earned NCAA Tournament berths each of the previous three seasons. Lehman led the Ducks to three national semifinals, and one national title match.

Lehman is majoring in computer engineering with an expected undergraduate graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.74 grade-point average (GPA). Lehman has been named to the UVC All-Academic Team each season, and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team in 2019.


PATRICK WATSON
Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field – Stevenson University
Patrick Watson (Edgewater, Md.) was recently named the 2020 MAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after winning the MAC Indoor Titles in the Mile Run, 3,000-meter Run and 5,000-meter Run the past season. In the previous outdoor season, Watson won the MAC title in a 5,000-meter Run. The senior is a nine-time All-MAC honoree across the indoor (five) and outdoor seasons (four). Watson has also led the Mustangs to a pair of MAC team titles in each season. Watson was named to 2020 USTFCCCA Regional Track Athlete of the Year and was an NCAA qualifier in the 5,000-meter run a few months ago. He owns the MAC record in the 3,000-mter run and the MAC Championship Record in the 5,000-meter run.
 
Watson is majoring in criminal justice with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.53 grade-point average (GPA). Watson has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll each year, and to the Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Academic All-MAC Teams in 2019. He is also an USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree.
 
 
NICOLE WEENINK
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Eastern University
Nicole Weenink (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) is a two-time MAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Weenink has collect four MAC Indoor individual titles the past two seasons, with back-to-back titles in both the long and triple jumps. The senior finished her indoor career as an 11-time All-MAC honoree. Weenink recently set the MAC Championship Records in both the long and triple jumps. She led Eastern to its first-ever Women’s MAC Indoor title in 2020. Weenink became an NCAA All-American in both jumps in 2019, and had qualified for nationals in both events in 2020. She was named the 2020 USTFCCCA Mideast Region Field Athlete of the Year, and was also named a finalist for the USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Weenink is majoring in biochemistry with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.95 grade-points average (GPA). Weenink has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll each year. She is a two-time Women’s Indoor Track & Field Academic All-MAC selection. Weenink was named an Academic All-American by CoSIDA in 2019.
 
 
JILL KORGESKI
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – King’s College
Jill Korgeski (Dunmore, Pa.) became an NCAA All-American in the shot put in 2018. She qualified for the NCAA Championships in both 2016 and 2018. Korgeski is a three-time All-MAC honoree in the shot put, winning the MAC title in 2018. The senior is s three-time USTFCCCA All-Mideast Region honoree. Korgeski is the school record-holder in the shot put.

Korgeski is majoring in the physician assistant program with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.73 grade-point average (GPA). Korgeski has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll each season. She is also a two-time Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Academic All-MAC Team honoree. Koreski is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team selection, and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team in 2017.


TYLER ZANKI
Men’s Swimming – Stevens Institute of Technology
Tyler Zanki (Wycoff, N.J.) is a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events. In his first season in the MAC, Zanki became a five-time All-MAC Honoree at the MAC Championship, winning gold in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200- and 400-yard Medley Relays. He won silver in the 200-yard breaststroke and bronze in the 200-yard IM. The senior led the Ducks to the 2020 MAC title. In the Empire 8 Conference, Zanki was named the 2019 Men’s Swimmer of the Year.
 
Zanki is majoring in chemical engineering with an expected graduation date for his undergraduate degree in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.66 grade-point average (GPA). Zanki was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2019.
 
 
GRACE NIKOLSKI
Women’s Swimming – Misericordia University
Grace Nikolski (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) is a six-time individual MAC Champion with three gold medals in the 100-yard breaststroke (2017, 2018, 2020) and three gold medals in the 200-yard breaststroke (2017, 2018, 2020). Nikolski was also a member of the 2020 MAC Champion relay team in the 400-yard medley relay. She is a 14-time All-MAC honoree, including six First-Team honors. In 2020, Nikolski capped her career with a berth to the NCAA Division III Swimming Championships.
 
Nikolski is majoring in physical therapy with an expected graduation with her doctorate degree in 2022. She currently holds a 3.87 grade-point average (GPA). She has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll three times, and was named to the Women’s Swimming Academic All-MAC Team in each of the previous three seasons. Nikolski was named the 2020 Misericordia University Scholar-Athlete of the Year.


EVAN WILLIAMS
Men’s Ice Hockey – Stevenson University
Evan Williams (Selinsgrove, Pa.) is a four-year defenseman and the Mustang’s career record holder for games played with 100. Williams led Stevenson to the inaugural MAC title in 2018. The senior led the Mustangs to postseason play in three of his four seasons. He capped his career with three goals and 15 assists from the blue line, and appeared in all 28 games in his final season.

Williams is majoring in applied mathematics with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.84 grade-point average (GPA). Williams has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll and the Stevenson University Dean’s List. He has been twice named to the UCHC All-Academic Team (2018/2019). Williams will attend Navy Officer Candidate School and Nuclear Power School following graduation to train to be a Nuclear Submarine Officer. 
 
 
JILL MOFFATT
Women’s Ice Hockey – Lebanon Valley College
Jill Moffatt (Owensound, Ontario) is a three-time All-MAC First Team and a two-time All-UCHC First Team goaltender selection. Moffatt became a two-time UCHC Goaltender of the Year (2019/2020) this past year, while also picking up UCHC and MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020. Moffatt is the NCAA (all divisions) Career Saves record holder with 4,444 saves.
 
Moffatt is majoring in digital communications with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.23 grade-point average (GPA). Moffatt has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll, as well as the UCHC All-Academic Team in 2018 and 2019.


COLIN SAREYKA
Men’s Basketball – Messiah College
Colin Sareyka (Swedesboro, N.J.) is a three-time All-MAC Commonwealth selection, including a two-time first team honoree (2018/2019) and second team selection in 2020. Sareyka capped his career as Messiah’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,547 points. The senior was fifth in the conference with 18.2 points per game and led the team with 419 points this past season. Sareyka was second in the MAC Commonwealth with 50 assists per game, and forth with 115 total assists. He started 47 of the Falcons’ last 48 games, while also appearing in all 40 games as a freshman and sophomore.

Sareyka is majoring in criminal justice with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. He currently holds a 3.58 grade-point average (GPA). Sareyka is a two-time MAC Academic Honor Roll recipient, while also being named to the Men’s Basketball Academic All-MAC Team in both 2018 and 2019.
 
 
LEAH SPRINGER
Women’s Basketball – Messiah College
Leah Springer (Camp Hill, Pa.) became a two-time all-American this past season after receiving the honor by the WBCA (first-team) and D3hoops.com (first team). Springer was also named the D3hoops.com Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year and to the All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team. The senior is a two-time All-MAC Commonwealth selection in 2020 (first team) and 2018 (second team). Springer was a member of four MAC Commonwealth Championship teams and four berths to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Springer is majoring in economics with an expected graduation date in the spring of 2020. She currently holds a 3.97 grade-point average (GPA). Springer is a three-time MAC Academic Honor Roll recipient, while also being named to the Women’s Basketball Academic All-MAC Team in 2018.