University Park, Pa. — Representing 13 spring and at-large sports, 103 Penn State student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Penn State’s 103 honorees brings the Nittany Lions’ all-time total to 3,365 during the 16 years of the program. The total ranks first among all Big Ten institutions. Ohio State ranks second with 3,342.
Including the 72 fall sports honorees and the 60 winter accolades, the Nittany Lions had 235 Academic All-Big Ten selections for the 2009-10 academic year. Two Penn State teams boast the highest number of honorees among all league institutions in their respective sports. The softball team totaled 10 selections to lead the Big Ten, while the women’s lacrosse team earned 15.
Penn State’s Academic all-conference award winners excelled both academically and athletically. The men’s and women’s fencing teams won their fifth NCAA title of the decade. Senior Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) finished second in men’s saber, while on the women’s side junior Doris Willette took second in women’s foil.
Junior catcher Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.), a 2010 Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, was drafted in the fifth round of the MLB Draft (#153 overall) by the Houston Astros. His teammate, David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) picked up ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team laurels.
The men’s golf team made their fourth NCAA Championship appearance under head coach Greg Nye. Senior Kevin Foley (Somerville, N.J.), a two-time All-American, and senior T.J. Howe (Osceola, Pa.) both earned PING All-Region accolades this season.
The women’s track & field team secured the program’s first Big Ten "Triple Crown." Senior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) won the Big Ten title in the steeple chase, while senior Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) medaled in the high jump at the conference championships and junior Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) advanced to the NCAAs in the 800-meters.
The men’s volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Championship for the 12th straight season and made its sixth appearance in the NCAA Championship match. Senior Max Lipsitz (Williamsville, N.Y.), who led the nation with a .524 hitting percentage, earned AVCA First Team All-America honors and was an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American. Sophomore Ryan Wolf (York, Pa.) was an Academic All-EIVA selection, as well.
Senior outfielder Ashley Griffith (Mount Laurel, N.J.) was chosen as an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American in 2010. Sophomore pitcher Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team.
The women’s lacrosse team advanced to the ALC Championship Semifinals with a 14-12 defeat of Ohio State. Senior Theresa Bucci (Hudson, Ohio) and junior Maggie Dunbar (Cockeysville, Md.) both earned First Team All-ALC honors, as well as IWLCA All-West First Team laurels. Junior Jackie Eastman (Springfield, Pa.) was a second team All-ALC selection.
The Big Ten recognized 1,037 spring and at-large sports student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners in their second academic year at their institution. They must carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Listed below are Penn State’s 2010 Spring and At-Large Academic All-Big Ten honorees by sport.
Baseball
Jesse Alfreno, Sr., Advertising & Public Relations
Ben Heath, Jr., Kinesiology
David Lutz, Gr., Health Policy & Administration
Mike Pierce, Sr., Industrial Engineering
Men’s Fencing
Daniel Bak, Sr., Finance
Michael El-Saleh, So., Business
Brian Heflich, Sr., Civil Engineering
Roger Kristof, So., Communications
Robert MacClaren, Sr., Criminal Justice
Samuel Perkins, Jr., Film & Video
Wolfgang Rafert, So., History
Bobby Thompson, So., Undeclared
Men’s Lacrosse
Dave Baker, So., Science
John Brelus, Jr., Marketing
Joe Britt, Sr., Marketing
Greg Brown, Jr., Finance
Will Donley, Jr., Journalism
Alex Garrity, Jr., Actuarial Science
Kevin Joyce, Sr., Economics
Conrad Ridgway, So., Business
Ricky Robinson, So., Engineering
Matt Shankoff, Jr., Finance
Colton Vosburgh, Jr., Management
Men’s Golf
Brendan Borst, Jr., Finance
Jason Cohan, Jr., Finance
Kevin Foley, Sr., Economics
T.J. Howe, Sr., Marketing
Tanner Smith, So., Undeclared
Men’s Tennis
Ryan Gormley, Sr., Marketing
Jason Lee, So., Undeclared
Guillaume St-Maurice, Sr., Accounting
Men’s Track & Field
Chris Cipro, So., Education
Ethan Diehm, So., Information Sciences & Technology
Cory Eck, Sr., Nutrition
Ryan Foster, Jr., Economics
Ryan Fritz, Sr., Supply Chain
Kevin Fuller, Sr., Civil Engineering
Tyler McCandless, Sr., Meteorology
Jason Pelletier, So., Health & Human Development
Dan Sandrowicz, So., Liberal Arts
Jeff Wisinski, Jr., Science
Men’s Volleyball
Jason Ambrose, Sr., Management
Tor Covello, So., Business
Max Lipsitz, Sr., Finance
Mark Shipp, So., Liberal Arts
Jesse Wagner, Jr., Finance
Ryan Wolf, So., Undeclared
Softball
Lids Akamine, So., Rehabilitation & Human Services
Danee Collett, So., Education
Desi Giordano, Jr., Communication Arts & Sciences
Ashley Griffith, Sr., Kinesiology
Jackie Hill, Sr., Sociology
Morgan Long, So., Science
Ellen McNair, So., Communications
Mary Ostman, Jr., Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management
Ashley Todd, So., Communications
Kimi Wong, Sr., Advertising & Public Relations
Women’s Fencing
Lauren Bauch, So., Undeclared
Olivia Benedek, So., Undeclared
Keri Byerts, Sr., Accounting
Anastasia Ferdman, Sr., Human Development & Family Studies
Daniela Goldenerg, Jr., Bio-Behavioral Health
Janelle Krannich, So., Business
Caitlin Thompson, Sr., Advertising & Public Relations
Caitlin Vassoler, Jr., Elementary Education
Doris Willette, Jr., Advertising & Public Relations
Women’s Golf
Victoria Arena, Jr., Philosophy
Gia Fanelli, Jr., Recreation, Park & Tourism Management
Brianna Malcolmson, Jr., Security & Risk Analysis
Katherine Murphy, Sr., Finance
Dineen Notman, Jr., Recreation, Park & Tourism Management
Women’s Lacrosse
Aly Adams, So., Health & Human Development
Ashley Boccio, Jr., Science
Theresa Bucci, Sr., Crime, Law & Justice
Dana Cahill, So., Communications
Brittaney Chamberlain, So., Liberal Arts
Maggie Dunbar, Jr., Communication Arts & Sciences
Jackie Eastman, Jr., Kinesiology
Stephanie Ellis, Sr., Bio-Behavioral Health
Megan Hollerbach, Jr., Integrative Arts
Margo Josephs, Sr., Communications Arts & Sciences
Laura Lesnick, Jr., Science
Erica Mihm, Sr., Science
Cassandra Speno, So., Communications
Maria Valderas, Sr., Science
Katy Wick, Jr., Advertising & Public Relations
Women’s Tennis
Lauren McCarthy, Sr., Sociology
Maria Prishlyak, So., Undeclared
Kristen Roth, So., Communication Arts & Sciences
Michaela Stracar, So., Communications
Women’s Track & Field
Paige Anderson, Jr., English
Jessica Babcock, Sr., Elementary Education
Claire Berryman, Gr., Nutrition
Candace Carson, Jr., Advertising & Public Relations
Jolene Collins, Sr., Nutrition
Megan Duncan, Jr., Mathematics
Bridget Franek, Sr., Kinesiology
Anna Muzio, So., Science
Rachel NeMoyer, Sr., Science
Amanda Palenchar, So., Science
Katie Shelley, Jr., Kinesiology