Scholar-Athlete Award Winners
RICHMOND, Va. (June 18, 2012) - Eleven student-athletes who were among the best in their sports both athletically and academically have been honored by the Colonial Athletic Association as recipients of the CAA Scholar-Athlete Award for the spring sports season.
The conference honors one Scholar-Athlete in each of its 22 championship sports. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve on their team and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The winners were selected by a vote of the sports information directors at each CAA institution.
Earning Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors were Towson junior Zach Fisher in baseball, Delaware senior Greg Matthias in men's golf, Georgia State senior Charlotte Lorentzen in women's golf, Hofstra senior Andrew Gvozden in men's lacrosse, Hofstra junior Jill Maier in women's lacrosse, Northeastern senior Greta Haselmann in women's rowing, Hofstra junior Olivia Galati in softball, Georgia State junior Victor Valente in men's tennis, UNCW senior Christina Lee in women's tennis, William & Mary senior Brandon Heroux in men's track and field and James Madison junior Katie Harman in women's track and field.
Here is a brief biographical sketch on the award winners:
Zach Fisher, Jr., Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall - Towson (baseball)
A junior majoring in economics, Fisher was selected to the Capital One Academic All-America third team in 2012. He started 47 games for Towson at third base this season and made only six errors defensively for an impressive .965 fielding percentage. At the plate, Fisher led the Tigers with a .333 batting average and tied for the team lead with 10 doubles. He also scored 25 runs and drove in 27. Fisher made the CAA All-Tournament team after batting .500 with a double, triple, homer, five runs and six RBI's in three games.
Greg Matthias, Sr., Wilmington, Del./Salesianum - Delaware (men's golf)
A senior majoring in sports management with a minor in leadership, Matthias is a Dean's List student and a CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient. He was the medalist at the 2012 CAA Men's Golf Championship after shooting a 4-over par 217 over 54 holes to win the event by one shot. Matthias earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, where he finished 67th overall. A four-year letterwinner, he posted a 76.7 stroke average this season and recorded nine career top 10 finishes.
Charlotte Lorentzen, Sr., Soroe, Denmark/Soroe Academi - Georgia State (women's golf)
Lorentzen is the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women's golf for the third year in a row. A senior majoring in journalism, she was named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team in 2012 and is a three-time NGCA All-America Scholar. Lorentzen became the first three-time winner of the CAA Women's Golfer of the Year award in 2012. She was the medalist at the CAA Women's Golf Championship for the second straight season with a 1-over par 217 to capture the event by four strokes. Lorentzen, who won four tournaments in 2011-12, posted a top 20 finish at the NCAA Regionals and finished her career with a school-record stroke average of 74.69.
Andrew Gvozden, Sr., Millersville, Md./Severna Park - Hofstra (men's lacrosse)
A senior majoring in entrepreneurship, Gvozden was named to the 2012 USILA Scholar All-America team. He's a four-year member of the Hofstra Athletics Academic Honor Roll. Gvozden started all 14 games as the Pride's goalkeeper and posted an 8.50 goals against average with a .551 save percentage. He ranked among the top 20 in the nation in GAA, saves per game and save percentage. Gvozden held five opponents to six goals or less and recorded double-digit saves in nine of 14 contests.
Jill Maier, Jr., Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima - Hofstra (women's lacrosse)
A junior majoring in English, Maier was a member of the Provost's List and Dean's List at Hofstra and is a CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient. The midfielder was the Pride's second-leading scorer with 22 goals and tallied 25 points. She also contributed a team-best 40 draw controls, 13 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Maier was a first-team All-CAA selection in 2011 and made the CAA All-Rookie team in 2010.
Greta Haselmann, Sr., Munster, Germany/Gymnasium Paulinum - Northeastern (rowing)
A senior majoring in chemistry, Haselmann received NU's prestigious Rowlands Award, which is presented to the school's most outstanding senior scholar-athlete. She was named a CRCA National Scholar Athlete for the second time in 2012 and was a candidate for the NCAA's Walter Byers Scholarship. Haselmann garnered second-team CRCA All-America honors in 2012 and was chosen to the All-CAA team for the second year in a row. She helped lead the Huskies to three CAA titles in her four seasons, including 2012 when she was a member of the first-place Varsity 8 boat.
Olivia Galati, Jr., West Babylon, N.Y./St. John The Baptist - Hofstra (softball)
A junior majoring in physical education, Galati is a repeat winner of the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in softball. She became the first Hofstra player to earn first-team NFCA All-America accolades in 2012 after an outstanding year on the mound. Galati was named CAA Pitcher of the Year for the third straight season after compiling a 34-7 record with a 0.95 ERA, which included 32 consecutive wins. She led the nation with 17 shutouts and recorded 378 strikeouts in 280.2 innings. Galati also batted .345 with 11 doubles, four homers and 37 RBI's and became the first player to earn first-team All-CAA honors at two positions in 2012. She led the Pride to the CAA regular-season and tournament titles before being a part of the first CAA team to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Victor Valente, Jr., Sao Paulo, Brazil - Georgia State (men's tennis)
A junior majoring in computer information systems, Valente was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District first team in 2012. He received first-team All-CAA honors in singles this season after posting a 16-5 mark as the Panthers' No. 1 player and earned second-team all-conference accolades in doubles after compiling a 14-7 record as part of GSU's No. 1 tandem. Valente was the 14th-ranked singles player in the Southeast Region this season and he recorded a doubles victory over the nation's 22nd-ranked team. He is a three-time All-CAA selection in singles and a two-time honoree in doubles.
Christina Lee, Sr., Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day - UNCW (women's tennis)
A senior majoring in mathematics with a minor in Spanish, Lee is a repeat winner of the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in women's tennis. She was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District first team in 2012 and was a recipient of the Chancellor's Cup, which is UNCW's top academic award for a student-athlete. Lee received first-team All-CAA honors in singles for the second year in a row in 2012 after posting a 12-9 record and was a second-team All-CAA honoree in doubles. She helped lead UNCW to its highest national ranking ever and a berth in the semifinals of the CAA Championship. Lee ranks third in career singles wins and 10th in career doubles victories at UNCW.
Brandon Heroux, Sr., Westfield, N.J./Westfield - William & Mary (men's track and field)
A senior majoring in finance, Heroux earns the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in track and field for the second time in his career. He has twice been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic squad. Heroux was a first-team All-America honoree in 2012 after placing eighth in the javelin at the NCAA Track & Field Championship with a school-record throw of 241-4. Coming off Tommy John surgery last summer, he also finished second in the javelin at the Penn Relays (235-9) and captured his fourth straight CAA javelin title with a conference-record throw of 234-1. He is the only CAA athlete to win four consecutive javelin titles and is the first W&M thrower to garner All-America accolades.
Katie Harman, Jr., Clarksville, Md./River Hill - James Madison (women's track and field)
A junior majoring in health sciences, Harman is a three-time JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete and has made the President's List once and the Dean's List twice. She was named JMU's Athlete of the Year for 2011-12. Harman was the CAA champion in the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters to help lead the Dukes to their first team title. She was also an NCAA East Region qualifier in both events. Harman owns JMU's third-best time in the 1,500m, the fifth-best time in the 3,000m and the fifth-best time in the 5,000m. She is also a two-time All-East honoree in cross country and was the 2011 CAA Athlete of the Year in cross country after winning the individual title at the conference championship.