PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST Conference has announced the 24 winners of the 2011-12 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards, which recognize academic and athletic achievement as well as community service.
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete in each BIG EAST-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council.
The winners include two student-athletes who were chosen to the Capital One Academic All-America teams in the 2011-12 season - Villanova’s Sheila Reid, who repeated as the NCAA individual champion in women’s cross country, and Cincinnati’s Eric Finan, who was the BIG EAST individual champion in men’s cross country.
The list also includes nine student-athletes who were either chosen as BIG EAST Players of the Year or earned the top individual honors as their respective conference championships in 2011-12.
Louisville had a league-high seven individuals honored by the conference, while Notre Dame had five winners.
2011-12 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards
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Sport
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Player
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School
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Highlights
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Baseball
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Patrick Kivlehan
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Rutgers
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2012 BIG EAST Player of the Year; first player to win the BIG EAST Triple Crown, leading league in batting, home runs and RBI.
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Men’s Basketball
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Peyton Siva
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Louisville
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Point guard for Cardinal team that won the BIG EAST Championship and reached the NCAA Final Four.
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Women’s Basketball
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Skylar Diggins
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Notre Dame
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BIG EAST Player of the Year; first team All-America; Nancy Lieberman Award winner as nation’s top point guard.
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Men’s Cross Country
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Eric Finan
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Cincinnati
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2011 BIG EAST cross country individual champion; Capital One Academic All-America First Team selection.
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Women’s Cross Country
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Sheila Reid
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Villanova
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Academic All-America; two-time Honda Award winner; five NCAA individual titles and member of two NCAA championship teams.
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Field Hockey
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Hayley Turner
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Louisville
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All-America Second Team selection; BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year; unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team choice.
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Football
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JK Schaffer
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Cincinnati
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All-BIG EAST First Team pick in 2011; fourth player in league history to register 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons.
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Men’s Golf
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Ben Westley
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DePaul
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Registered a 19th-place finish and was DePaul’s leading scorer at the 2012 BIG EAST Championship.
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Women’s Golf
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Becca Huffer
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Notre Dame
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Four-time All-BIG EAST selection; team leader in scoring average in 2011-12.
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Men’s Lacrosse
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Kevin Randall
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Notre Dame
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All-America First Team selection; BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year; led team to NCAA semifinal.
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Women’s Lacrosse
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Katie Oliverio
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Louisville
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All-BIG EAST Second Team and IWLCA All-Region selection in 2011.
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Women’s Rowing
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Katherine Geithman
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Rutgers
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All-BIG EAST First Team and CRCA All-Region First Team selection.
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Men’s Soccer
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Austin Berry
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Louisville
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Two-time All-America; three-time All-BIG EAST selection; 2010 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
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Women’s Soccer
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Kerry McBride
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Marquette
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Two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year; Capital One Academic All-America; two-time All-BIG EAST First Team pick.
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Softball
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Tori Collins
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Louisville
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NFCA Third Team All-America selection; Two-time All-BIG EAST First Team pick.
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Men’s Swimming & Diving
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Brendon Andrews
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Louisville
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Won six individual BIG EAST titles in 2012; NCAA qualifier; 20-time All-BIG EAST performer.
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Women’s Swimming & Diving
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Danielle Cecco
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Connecticut
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Most Outstanding Diver at 2012 BIG EAST Championship; 2012 BIG EAST champion and NCAA qualifier in one-meter diving.
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Men’s Tennis
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Blas Moros
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Notre Dame
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Second on team in overall and dual match wins for NCAA-qualifying team.
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Women’s Tennis
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Shannon Mathews
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Notre Dame
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ITA All-America in doubles; 2012 BIG EAST Player of the Year.
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Men’s Indoor Track & Field
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Tim Nedow
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DePaul
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Most Outstanding Field Performer at 2012 BIG EAST Indoor Championship; NCAA All-America; Capital One Academic All-America.
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Women’s Indoor Track & Field
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Heather Wilson
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Connecticut
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Earned two All-America finishes at the 2012 NCAA Championship; four career All-America indoor finishes.
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Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
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Julian Matthews
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Providence
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2010 NCAA All-America in the 1,500-meter run; won New Zealand Olympic Trials in the 1,500.
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Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
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Chinwe Okoro
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Louisville
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Three-time All-America performer; 2012 BIG EAST champion in the shot put; Nigeria’s national champion in the shot put.
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Women’s Volleyball
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Danielle Carlson
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Marquette
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All-BIG EAST First Team; AVCA All-America honorable mention; AVCA All-Region pick.
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