Press release by Lycoming Athletic Dept.
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior wrestler Nolan Barger (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) and senior women’s soccer/lacrosse player Meghenn Jackson (Arnold, Md./Broadneck/Anne Arundel C.C.) were named the Lycoming College Male and Female Outstanding Athletes, respectively, at the college’s Honors Convocation on Sunday, April 17, at Lamade Gymnasium.
Junior wrestler Seth Lansberry (Klingerstown, Pa./Line Mountain) also picked up a top honor, earning the Sol “Woody” Wolf Award.
In addition, cross country senior Lindsay Decker (Shapleigh, Maine/Massabesic) earned the college’s highest honor, the Chieftain Award.
Barger earned NCAA All-American honors for the second straight year, placing third at 165 pounds at the NCAA Championships. He capped his junior year with a 36-2 record, which pushed his career mark to 101-22 and made him one of six wrestlers in school history to reach 100 career wins. He started the year ranked second in both the d3wrestle.com and NWCA individual rankings and never left that spot, all while rolling up 31 straight wins to start the season, the second-longest winning streak in program history. He also notched tournament championships at the Ohio Northern Invitational, the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Budd Whitehill National Duals. He finished second at the NCAA Mideast Regional to earn his second national qualifier.
Barger is the first wrestler to win the award since Chris Dahlheimer in 2010, and he is the 16th wrestler in program history to earn the award.
Jackson leads the NCAA in points per game in women’s lacrosse (7.58), as she also leads the MAC Commonwealth in goals (5.14) and assists (2.86) per game. She was just as good in women’s soccer, where she tied the school-record for goals in a season with 15. She also finished second in school’s single-season record book with 37 points (15 goals, 7 assists), as the seven assists are tied for fourth in school history. At the end of the season, Jackson was named First Team All-MAC Commonwealth, becoming the first Lycoming player to earn that honor since joining the conference in 2007. The history major also become the first Academic All-MAC selection in program history.
Jackson is the fourth women’s lacrosse player to earn the award, joining two-time winner Brooke Strausser (2012-13) and Megan Wallenhorst (2008) and the second women’s soccer player to earn the accolade, joining Bekah Shipe (2009).
Lansberry was honored as the Sol “Woody” Wolf Award winner, which is given to a junior who has shown the most improvement in the intercollegiate competition in his/her first three years at the college. Lansberry went 38-5 and earned his first career All-American honors by placing fourth at the NCAA Division III Championships at 149 pounds. He won the first three tournaments of his career, winning titles at Ohio Northern Invitational, Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championships and John Summa Invitational. He entered the season ranked 10th nationally for the first time in his career after going 31-6 as a sophomore when an injury ended his season. One of six wrestlers in school history with 100 wins, Lansberry went 35-10 as a freshman, setting the Lycoming freshman record for wins, and he placed fifth at NCAA Mideast Regional.
Lansberry is the eighth wrestler in program history to earn the award and the first since Dahlheimer in 2009.
Decker was given the college’s top honor, the Chieftain Award, which recognizes the graduating senior who has shown the utmost dedication and leadership qualities while at Lycoming and whose academic rank is above the median of the preceding senior class. A three-year letterwinner, Decker led the team with a time of 26:00.4 at the NCAA Mideast Regionals for the third straight year. She beat 56 percent of competitors in eight races as a senior (759-590) and her time of 25:27 during the 2013 NCAA Mideast Regionals is the third-fastest in school history. Decker finished in the top 10 at a race once in career, top 25 three times and top 50 nine times. She was also a three-time member of the MAC Academic Honor Roll.