Scholar-Athletes Of The Year

RICHMOND, Va. (July 2, 2012) - William & Mary senior track and field standout Brandon Heroux (Westfield, N.J.) was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Delaware junior basketball player Elena Delle Donne (Wilmington, Del.) was chosen as the CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2011-12 in voting by the league's 12 media relations directors.

The conference selected a Scholar-Athlete of the Year in each of its 22 championship sports this season, and those winners were placed on the ballot for the Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. All of the winners were a starter or important reserve on their team and had a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher. Not only did the finalists excel in the classroom, but also as athletes, with seven of the Scholar-Athletes earning All-America honors this season.

Heroux was the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in track and field for the second time in his career. The finance major has twice been chosen to the USTFCCCA All-Academic squad. Heroux earned first-team All-America honors in 2012 after placing eighth in the javelin at the NCAA Track & Field Championship with a school-record throw of 241-4. After missing the first part of the spring season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, he turned in a second-place finish in the javelin (235-9) at the Penn Relays. Heroux claimed his fourth consecutive CAA javelin title with a conference meet-record throw of 234-1. He is the only CAA athlete to win four straight javelin crowns and is the first Tribe thrower to earn All-America accolades. Heroux finished sixth in the javelin at the Canadian Olympic Trials last week.

Delle Donne is Delaware's first recipient of the CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. The junior, who is majoring in early childhood education with a minor in special education, was honored as the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in women's basketball. She also received the Honda Inspiration Award, which is given to an athlete who has overcome hardship to excel in her sport. Delle Donne was a consensus first team All-America selection this season and was a finalist for several National Player of the Year awards. The Blue Hens' guard/forward led the nation in scoring with 28.1 points per game and was third in the CAA in rebounding (10.3 rpg). She was chosen as the CAA women's basketball Player of the Year for the second time after leading UD to a 31-2 overall record, a #7 national ranking, a first-ever CAA championship and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. She set CAA records for points (927) and field goals (325) in a season.

Others receiving votes for the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award were Hofstra junior Steve Bonanno (Wantagh, N.Y.), an All-American in wrestling after placing eighth in the 125-pound weight class at the NCAA Championship; Towson junior Zach Fisher (Baltimore, Md.), a CAA All-Tournament selection in baseball who was also a third-team Academic All-American; Georgia State junior Vincent Foermer (Seevetal, Germany), the starting goalkeeper for the Panthers' men's soccer team that led the CAA in goals allowed and shutouts and received their first NCAA Tournament berth; Hofstra senior Andrew Gvozden (Millersville, Md.), the starting goalkeeper for the Pride's men's lacrosse team who ranked among the top 20 nationally in goals allowed, saves per game and save percentage; Delaware senior golfer Greg Matthias (Wilmington, Del.), the medalist at the 2012 CAA Men's Golf Championship; William and Mary senior Quinn McDowell (Mason, Ohio), a two-time All-CAA selection in basketball who is one of only four players in Tribe history with more than 1,600 points and 500 rebounds in a career; William and Mary sophomore Andrew Strait (Henrico, Va.), an All-CAA honoree in swimming after placing second in the 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley at the conference championship; Georgia State junior Victor Valente (Sao Paulo, Brazil), the #1 player on the Panthers' tennis team who earned first-team All-CAA honors in singles and second-team All-CAA accolades in doubles; UNCW senior Wil Zahorodny (Damascus, Md.), the top performer on the Seahawks' cross country team and an All-CAA honoree in track and field.

Others receiving votes for the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award were Northeastern senior Kaela Barker (North Vancouver, British Columbia), a third-team All-America selection in field hockey; Drexel junior Lauren Faykes (Cherry Hill, N.J.), a school-record holder in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle for the Dragons' swimming team; Hofstra junior Olivia Galati (West Babylon, N.Y.), the first Hofstra softball player to earn first-team All-America honors and a three-time CAA Pitcher of the Year; James Madison junior Katie Harman (Clarksville, Md.), the 2012 CAA track champion in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters and the 2011 CAA Athlete of the Year in cross country; Northeastern senior Greta Haselmann (Munster, Germany), a second-team CRCA All-American in rowing and a CRCA National Scholar-Athlete; UNCW senior Christina Lee (Charlotte, N.C.), a two-time first-team All-CAA singles player who helped lead the Seahawks to their highest national ranking ever; Georgia State senior Charlotte Lorentzen (Soroe, Denmark), the first three-time CAA Women's Golfer of the Year and the medalist at the CAA Women's Golf Championship for the second straight season; Hofstra junior Jill Maier (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.), the second-leading scorer on the Pride's women's lacrosse team this season with 22 goals; James Madison junior Stacey Nobles (Virginia Beach, Va.), a three-time All-CAA selection in cross country after placing third at the 2011 conference championship; William and Mary junior Mallory Schaffer (Allison Park, Pa.), the CAA Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in women's soccer and a third-team Academic All-American; and Georgia State senior Vineece Verdun (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), the first volleyball player in Panthers' history to earn first-team All-CAA honors in back-to-back seasons and a third-team Academic All-American.

CAA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2002-03:
Male: Pedro Nieto, Tennis, VCU
Female: Kristine Austgulen, Basketball, VCU
2003-04:
Male: Adam Hess, Basketball, William and Mary
Female: Nataly Cahana, Tennis, Old Dominion
2004-05:
Male: Chris Looze, Baseball, George Mason
Female: Michelle Jarman, Golf, UNCW
2005-06:
Male: Michael Krayer, Swimming, UNCW
Female: Janelle Engle, Field Hockey, Old Dominion
2006-07:
Male: Keith Bechtol, Cross Country/Track & Field, William and Mary
Female: Melissa Milstead, Swimming, UNCW
2007-08:
Male: Ryan Overdevest, Soccer, William and Mary
Female: Sue Weber, Soccer, Hofstra
2008-09:
Male: Aleksandr Seleznev, Tennis, Old Dominion
Female: Kelsey Cutchins, Field Hockey, James Madison
2009-10:
Male: Richard Edgar, Soccer, George Mason
Female: Kelsey Cutchins, Field Hockey, James Madison
2010-11:
Male: Nathaniel Baako, Soccer, William and Mary
Female: Brandi Gervais, Cross Country/Track, Towson
2011-12:
Male: Brandon Heroux, Track & Field, William and Mary
Female: Elena Delle Donne, Basketball, Delaware