Academic honors summer 2021
Binghamton lands 15 America East Presidential Scholar-Athletes
The America East Conference has released its list of Presidential Scholar-Athletes for the 2020-21 academic year and 15 Binghamton student-athletes are included among the selections. It marks the most selections that Binghamton has posted since the conference established the award in 2014.
The America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete award recognizes graduating student-athletes who compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher as an undergraduate student. In addition, honored student-athletes must have received their undergraduate degree in the academic year they are honored and have attended their current institution for a minimum of two years.
Athletics Department inducts 70 into National Honor Society
The Binghamton Athletic Department has announced its 2021 induction class into the National College Athlete Honor Society (Chi Alpha Sigma). The 70 student-athletes form the largest class in the 16 years that the athletic department has sponsored such inductions.
In order to be eligible for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must have achieved junior academic standing by their fifth semester, have attained at least a 3.4 cumulative grade point average and have participated in a sport sponsored by the NCAA.
Department’s 4.0 student-athletes share strategies
Each semester, the Binghamton Athletic Department holds a breakfast for its student-athletes who attained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the previous semester. Although the breakfasts have been virtual events this year, the athletic department was able to take time out to honor the 45 student-athletes who reached the 4.0 mark in the fall.
On Feb. 22, President Harvey Stenger, Athletic Director Patrick Elliott and Faculty Athletics Representative Nadine Mastroleo held a Zoom event for the 45 honorees. That number represents 10 percent of the entire student-athlete population. Eighteen of the 19 teams at Binghamton had at least one of their student-athletes earn a perfect 4.0 GPA.
It was after that event that the student-athletes talked about their favorite tips on earning the grades that they did.
Cross country pair earn national academic honors
Seniors Emily Mackay and Dan Schaffer as well as junior Aziza Chigatayeva have all been named All-Academic selections by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) for the recent cross country season. In addition, both the Bearcat men’s and women’s teams earned All-Academic team status.
“This was a fantastic year for our program both on the course and in the classroom,” head coach Annette Acuff said. “We are very proud of how Dan, Aziza and Emily represented our program this year and are also proud of how both programs performed during the year.”
In order to qualify for individual USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and have either qualified for the national championship meet or finished top-5 at their respective conference championship.
Men’s soccer standout Luescher named to CoSIDA Academic Team
Senior midfielder Noah Luescher – who will return for a final season this coming fall – has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team. It marks the first time in his career that he has earned the distinction.
The 2020-21 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early July.
Women’s soccer all-star Theiller racks up honors
Senior defender Erin Theiller earned several accolades at the department’s 74th Annual Awards Ceremony, held virtually on June 3.
Theiller received the prestigious John Bilos Alumni Award for career achievement and also was named a finalist for Athlete of the Year after guiding her team to the 2021 America East title game. That same day, she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Soccer Team and will advance to the national ballot for her combined athletic and academic excellence.
Luescher named soccer first-team all-conference
Senior midfielder Noah Luescher has been named first-team all-conference by the America East for the 2020-21 men’s soccer season. In addition, he was also selected to the conference’s All-Academic Team for the third consecutive year. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon by the conference office.
This marks the first time in Luescher’s career that he has landed on the first team. He was named second-team all-conference in 2019 and was honored as the America East Rookie of the Year in 2017. In addition, Luescher is the first Binghamton player to be chosen to the America East All-Academic Team three times in his career since the program joined the conference prior to the 2002 season.
Three swimmers/divers earn academic honors
Seniors David Walters and Erik Temple as well as junior Ryan Board have been named to the 2021 America East Men’s Swimming & Diving All-Academic Team. The Bearcat trio was honored for the combination of their academic and athletic accomplishments.
To be eligible for an America All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have sophomore athletic eligibility, attain a 3.30 minimum grade-point average and be a contributor on their team. The squad is voted on by a committee made up of America East student-athlete support and athletic communications administrators as well as faculty athletic representatives.
Women’s soccer pair named Scholar All-Region
After playing key roles in the team’s conference runnerup finish this spring, Binghamton women’s soccer teammates Erin Theiller and Haylee Poltorak have been selected to the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Scholar All-Region Team. Theiller and Poltorak were named to the All-East Region second team and joined elite players from conferences such as the Big East, Atlantic-10, Colonial and MAC.
Theiller completed her standout career this spring and graduated with a 3.93 grade-point average in biology. She was a four-year starter and three-time all-conference defender. Off the field, Theiller was a Dean’s List student and two-time member of the America East All-Academic Team.
Poltorak finished her junior season this spring and carries a 3.50 GPA in mathematics. She was an all-conference selection after posting a league-leading 0.44 goals against average in the regular season and posted her fourth shutout in BU’s 1-0 win over UMass Lowell in the America East semifinals. She finished the season with a 0.46 goals against average and a save percentage of .885, second in the conference.
Three wrestlers names Scholar All-Americans
Three Binghamton wrestlers have received scholar All-America honors by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), in an announcement made today.
In order for a student-athlete to qualify for NWCA Scholar All-America distinction, they must have won over 60% of their matches and have a 3.2 minimum GPA, or they must be an NCAA Qualifier with a minimum 3.0 GPA. For a team to earn Scholar All-America Team honors, ten wrestlers must have competed at the conference tournament/NCAA qualifier.
Redshirt junior Joe Doyle, sophomore Jacob Nolan, and freshman Micah Roes were all named NWCA scholar All-Americans. Doyle’s nod was the second of his career. He has a 3.28 cumulative GPA in economics and was an NCAA qualifier after taking fourth at EIWA Championships.
Six wrestlers earn conference academic honors
Six members of the Binghamton wrestling team have been honored by the EIWA for academic excellence, as released by the conference office Thursday afternoon. The criteria was a cumulative GPA of over 3.0 and participation in the EIWA Championship.
Three of the six award winners were NCAA qualifiers in Micah Roes, Jacob Nolan and Joe Doyle. The trio combined for seven victories at EIWA Championships.
Matt Swanson (eighth place), Michael Zarif (sixth place) and Sam DePrez (eighth place) also received the honor.
All six representatives recorded victories at EIWA Championships this season, and have remaining eligibility for the 2021-22 season.
The full EIWA Academic Achievement Award release can be found here.
Swimming & Diving earns spring CSCAA Scholar All-America Honors
For the 12th straight semester, the Binghamton swimming & diving program has earned Scholar All-America honors from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). Both the Bearcat men’s and women’s programs earned the accolades by maintaining at least a 3.00 GPA during the Spring 2021 semester.
The Bearcat men compiled a 3.62 GPA while the women earned a 3.47 GPA.
“Our men and women did an amazing job of adapting and succeeding this past year both in the pool and in the classroom,” head coach Jerry Cummiskey said. “Their drive to be great student-athletes is unmatched. We couldn’t be more proud of their success this spring as they handled a shortened season, dealing with the challenges of a pandemic and excelling in the classroom.”
More than 70% top 3.3 mark; every team records a 3.1 of higher GPA
Binghamton student-athletes continued their academic success with a 3.44 grade-point average for the spring semester. It’s the eighth consecutive semester the group has surpassed a 3.2 GPA. The spring achievement also marks the 18th straight semester that the group surpassed the 3.1 mark.
More than 70 percent of student-athletes (305 of 433 individuals) recorded a 3.3 or higher GPA in the spring and more than half (248, 57%) posted a 3.5 or higher. Thirteen percent (57 individuals) of the student-athlete population produced a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester.
All 19 sports programs carried a team GPA above 3.0.
The women’s tennis team, under head coach Libby McGovern, captured the department’s Academic Cup with a 3.72 grade-point average. It’s the program’s ninth overall Cup and now gives women’s tennis seven academic titles in the last 10 semesters. The America East champion men’s swimming and diving team was runnerup with a 3.62 GPA.