The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Places 19 Student-Athletes on MAC's Distinguished Scholar Athletes List
April 15 | General
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Complete MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes Release
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the eight winter sports during this 2015-16 academic season as 19 University of Akron student-athletes were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sport's Academic All-MAC Teams.
In all, 202 student-athletes from the league's eight winter sports (men's indoor track, women's indoor track, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, wrestling, men's basketball, women's basketball, and gymnastics) were honored.
Akron had at least one representative from five of its six winter sports, led by seven student-athletes from women's indoor track, five from women's swimming, four from men's indoor track, two from men's basketball, and one from women's basketball.
The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is in its second year, given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics. Following each season from the winter sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students, junior college and graduate school transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of our Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2015-16 season. The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 33 percent of nominees, whichever was greater.
Later this spring, the MAC will announce the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the eight spring sports sponsored by the Conference.
2015-16 MAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Distinguished Scholar Athletes (7 of 58):
Claudia Garcia Jou, Akron, Senior, 4.00 GPA, Physical Education (Barcelona, Spain)
Michalla Gordon, Akron, Junior, 3.772 GPA, Nursing (Wadsworth, Ohio)
*Caroline Hasse, Akron, Senior, 3.960 GPA, Psychology (Potsdam, Germany)
*Daniella Johnson, Akron, Junior, 3.239 GPA, Accounting (Gahanna, Ohio)
Jackie Siefring, Akron, Sophomore, 3.822 GPA, Biomedical Engineering (Covington, Ohio)
Tara Snipes, Akron, Junior, 3.923 GPA, Information Systems Management (Covington, Ohio)
Becky Szabo, Akron, Junior, 3.404 GPA, Chemical Engineering (North Olmsted, Ohio)
2015-16 MAC Women's Swimming & Diving Distinguished Scholar Athletes (5 of 37):
*Ashley Drazkowski, Akron, Senior, 3.676 GPA, Public Relations/IMC (Monticello, Minn.)
*Ashley Niznik, Akron, Senior, 3.574 GPA, Marketing Management & Integrated Marketing Communication (McDonald, Pa.)
*Hannah Raspopovich, Akron, Senior, 3.542 GPA, Nursing (Crown Point, Ind.)
*Laura Savaraiu, Akron, Junior, 3.547 GPA, Biology (Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud, France)
Erin Seiler, Akron, Senior, 3.428 GPA, Food & Environmental Nutrition (Phoenixville, Pa.)
2015-16 MAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Distinguished Scholar Athletes (4 of 18):
Alex McCune, Akron, Senior, 3.550 GPA, Geology (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Sean Poholski, Akron, Junior, 3.902 GPA, Finance (Barberton, Ohio)
Taron Slone, Akron, Sophomore, 3.238 GPA, Fire Protection Technology (Columbus, Ohio)
Dan Zupan, Akron, Junior, 3.353 GPA, Integrated Social Studies (Berea, Ohio)
2015-16 MAC Men's Basketball Distinguished Scholar Athletes (2 of 6):
Jake Kretzer, Akron, Senior, 3.44 GPA, Sports Management (Bainbridge, Ohio)
Reggie McAdams, Akron, Senior, 3.27 GPA, Civil Engineering (Elida, Ohio)
2015-16 MAC Women's Basketball Distinguished Scholar Athletes (1 of 18):
*Hannah Plybon, Akron, Junior, 3.608 GPA, Physical Education (Graduate)/Exercise Science (Orrville, Ohio)
*2014-15 Distinguished Scholar Athlete
