June 28, 2005 Vermont Student-Athletes Post Another Successful Semester in the Classroom BURLINGTON, Vt. - Student-athletes at the University of Vermont enjoyed another strong semester in the classroom. The athletic department as a whole posted a spring semester GPA of 3.09 which was higher than the overall student body mark of 3.04. It is the fifth straight semester Vermont student-athletes have posted a GPA of 3.0 or better. Vermont had 14 of its 20 teams (70%) earn a 3.0 or better during the spring semester and one team missed the 3.0 mark by a one-thousands of a point. For the second straight semester, nearly two-thirds of UVM student-athletes earned over a 3.0, while 40 earned a 3.8 GPA or better, including 14 student-athletes who recorded a perfect 4.0. The women’s skiing squad led the way with a team GPA of 3.54, while the top team on the men’s side was men’s soccer (3.31). Through the fall semester, 84 student-athletes were named to the America East and ECACHL Academic Honor Rolls. The winter/spring academic honor roll for the America East will be announced later this summer. Four teams, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s cross country and women’s soccer, earned recognition for their academic achievements from respective coaching associations during the year. Among the senior class that graduated, five student-athletes earned cum laude honors and two more graduated summa cum laude. Swimmer Neily Jennings (Windsor, Conn.) earned Phi Beta Kappa honors. Teammates Allison Buza (Huntington, Pa.) and Carlee Moldenhauer (Cheshire, Conn.) and men’s basketball player David Hehn (Sarnia, Ontario) were inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, which recognizes the top 15 percent of junior and senior students in each college or school. Buza also earned membership into the Mortar Board society and joined senior skier Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.) as the recipients of the Wasson Athletic Prize given out by the UVM Athletic Department as the top senior student-athletes. Vermont student-athletes have recorded a GPA of 3.00 or higher for four straight years: 3.09 in 2004-05; 3.10 in 2003-04; 3.05 in 2002-03 and 3.04 in 2001-02. Over the past five years the Catamounts have had the top GPA among the conference schools, recording a 3.015 since 1999-2000. In 2004-05, Vermont boasts five student-athletes who have earned a spot on six ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I Teams and a pair, Bailey and Amy Cochran (Keene, N.H.), have combined to earn three ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America citations. Bailey was named to the national Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Team as a member of the UVM Nordic ski team. Cochran, a two-sport athlete as a member of the women’s soccer and women’s alpine teams, was named to the national Academic All-America Women’s Soccer and Women’s At-Large Team (skiing). Over the past five years, Vermont has produced 20 student-athletes that have earned a spot on the academic all-district teams and six have gone on to earn national Academic All-America honors. A number of Vermont student-athletes were honored with awards, honors degrees and citations of excellence from their respective colleges and departments: Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.) – Nordic Skiing – Was inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha (Chie Nu Chapter) National Political Science Honor Society; Earned a faculty award from the environmental studies program for his senior thesis research. Kami Cote (Copperton, Utah) – Women’s Hockey – Named the Outstanding Senior in Physical Education – Teacher Licensure from the College of Education and Social Services; Cote was also inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in education. Kate Crawford (Hawley, Mass.) – Nordic Skiing – Earned the Award for Academic Achievement in Environmental Sciences from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Alaina Dickason (Starksboro, Vt.) – Swimming and Diving – Received the Reginald Milbank (Sophomore) Award from the Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering from the College of Engineering and Mathematics. The award is given annually to the outstanding sophomore enrolled in civil engineering and environmental engineering at the University of Vermont; Dickason was also inducted into the Sigma Xi Honor Society. Christen Faltermeier (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) – Women’s Lacrosse – Was awarded a prestigious URECA grant from the John Dewey Honors College as a secondary education major. David Hehn (Sarnia, Ontario) – Men’s Basketball – Was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society for Business Management; Also inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society. Nikkie Hessney (Victor, N.Y.) – Women’s Soccer – Received departmental honors from the English Department. Kate Hudspeth (Burlington, Vt.) – Women’s Hockey – Was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society for sociology. Myles Jewell (Sudbury, Mass.) – Men’s Lacrosse – Received the W.A. Haviland Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Anthropology from the College of Arts and Sciences; Jewell was also recognized for his project “Visions of Africa: an Exercise in Visual Literacy” in the John Dewey Honors Program; Was also inducted into the Lambda Alpha National Honor Society for anthropology. Martin Klimes (Prague, Czech Republic) – Men’s Basketball – Earned the Ozzie Nyquist Prize from the School of Business Administration. The award is given to the junior demonstrating teamwork and leadership in the field of accounting or finance; Klimes was also inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society for Business Management. Whitney Knauer (New Holland, Pa.) – Track and Field – Earned the American Society of Animal Science Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The award is given annually to sophomores, juniors and seniors who academic record, scholastic efforts and character warrant recognition as the future leaders in the field of animal science; Knauer was also inducted into the Alpha Zeta Green Mountain Chapter Honor Society. Christie Layden (Rutland, Vt.) – Field Hockey - Was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society for sociology. Steph Mead (Victor, N.Y.) – Women’s Soccer – Was inducted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society for social work; Mead was also named the University of Vermont Women’s Center Female Athlete of the Year. Jennifer Plourde (Wilbraham, Mass.) – Cross Country/Track and Field – Earned the Natural Resources Program Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Stephen Rizner (Middlebury, Vt.) – Cross Country/Track and Field – Was honored with the Award for Superior Performance in Botany. The faculty in botany present this award year to a senior in the department with superior academic record and investment in the research and teaching activities of the department. Amy Rogers (Essex Junction, Vt.) – Track and Field – Was honored with the Warren R. Steinbring Outstanding Senior in Microbiology Award, which is presented for academic excellence and professional growth; Rogers was also inducted into the Alpha Zeta Green Mountain Chapter Honor Society. Jessica Schwartz (Belfast, Maine) – Swimming – Was honored by the Honors Program of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for her research in the microbiology program; Schwartz was also inducted into the Alpha Zeta Green Mountain Chapter Honor Society. Chris Smart (Morgantown, W.V.) – Men’s Hockey – Earned the Bickford Keystone Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The award recognizes the promising research collaboration between undergraduate students and faculty associated with the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. The Bickford Keystone Award sets the standard for keystone awards in other academic departments and within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Smart also earned the 2005 Nutrition and Food Sciences Research Award, which is presented to the graduating senior who has excelled in undergraduate research while maintaining high academic standards and has demonstrated outstanding potential for a career in either basic or applied research in nutrition and food science; Was also awarded a prestigious URECA grant from the John Dewey Honors College. Lee Stanton (Fair Haven, Vt.) – Cross Country/Track and Field – Was also inducted into the Alpha Zeta Green Mountain Chapter Honor Society for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Sarah Toczylowski (Reading, Mass.) – Softball – Was a named a Freeman Nurse Scholar by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Nicole Underhill (South Burlington, Vt.) – Swimming and Diving – Was a named a Freeman Nurse Scholar by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Underhill was also named a Vermont Scholar. Gabe Worzella (Madison, Conn.) – Women’s Hockey - Earned the American Society of Animal Science Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The award is given annually to sophomores, juniors and seniors who academic record, scholastic efforts and character warrant recognition as the future leaders in the field of animal science. --30-- Vermont Athletic Communications