50 Daemen Student-Athletes Earn D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards

8/3/2021 4:00:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - Fifty Daemen College student-athletes, representing 16 of the college's 17 intercollegiate athletic programs, have been named recipients of the Division 2 Athletic Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Awards, recognizing their accomplishments in the classroom during the 2020-21 academic year.

The D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards are given to student-athletes who hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level classes and been an active member of an intercollegiate team during the past academic year. This marks the third straight year that Daemen has had student-athletes selected for the award, with the 50 honorees representing a new benchmark - up from 36 selections a year ago.

"It is great to see so many of our student-athletes being lauded for the work they've done in the classroom," said Director of Athletics Traci Murphy, who was recently named to the D2 ADA Board of Directors. "Our coaches recruit highly motivated students. Our campus is equipped with the necessary support systems and highly qualified individuals to help these students thrive. And at the end of the day, Daemen student-athletes really embrace the challenges that come with competing and studying at a high level."

Daemen's honorees were among 16,164 student-athletes from 187 institutions nationwide to be recognized. It marks the highest number of recognized student-athletes in the 14-year history of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards program. A total of 425 student-athletes from East Coast Conference institutions were recognized. The Daemen men's and women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball teams had six honorees each to lead all Wildcat teams.

"It is incredible to think that our athletes excelled in the classroom despite having to deal with the many stressors associated with COVID-19. To see once again that a record-breaking number of students are recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award is simply astonishing," said Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President for Athletics at the University of Charleston and current D2 ADA President. in a press release. "I am extraordinarily impressed by the efforts of our member institutions to ensure that they provide special recognitions for their respective athletes, as they are certainly deserving."

Daemen's award recipients include:

Christina Aldridge, Women's Bowling *
Derek Bartlo, Men's Soccer
Ziv Basden, Men's Basketball *
John Bruggman, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Maggie Burns, Women's Volleyball
Trey Buscaglia, Men's Soccer
Ali Cousins, Women's Volleyball
Jake Couzens, Men's Volleyball
Amber Custodi, Women's Triathlon *
Ben Davis, Men's Tennis
Julia Eichel, Women's Soccer
Madeline Emmi, Women's Soccer *
Alina Estrella, Women's Basketball
Maddie Flores, Women's Soccer *
Jenna Gabel, Cheerleading
Jaden Gillette, Men's Volleyball
Sarah Golas, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field *
Ali Greenwood, Women's Volleyball *
Bailey Hartwig, Cheerleading *
Alex Hasiotis, Women's Bowling *
Taylor Haude, Women's Track & Field *
Jenn Heritz, Women's Volleyball *
Danielle Juby, Women's Track & Field
Megan Kidder, Women's Bowling
Christian Lewin, Men's Soccer
Derek Mancuso, Men's Soccer *
Monahe Marchione, Women's Track & Field *
Erik Matthews, Men's Track & Field
Courtney Merrill, Women's Triathlon/Track & Field
Mickaley Monahan, Women's Volleyball
Hilario Muñoz, Men's Soccer
Gavin Musielak, Men's Volleyball
Caitlyn Nowak, Women's Bowling
Tyra O'Meally-Turnbull, Women's Basketball
Lauren Ondreyko, Cheerleading
Sayeed Osorio, Men's Basketball
Faye Panagopoulos, Women's Soccer
Ryan Parker, Men's Volleyball
Ajan Rajamohan, Men's Soccer
Zach Schneider, Men's Volleyball
Sophie Sheffer, Women's Track & Field
Katelyn Sidoti, Women's Soccer *
Maddy Stearns, Women's Basketball
Natalie Such, Women's Soccer
Katie Titus, Women's Basketball *
Phillip Vance, Men's Tennis
Parker Wade, Men's Volleyball
Caroline White, Women's Basketball *
Georgia Wicker, Women's Volleyball
Caitlyn Yap, Women's Triathlon

* denotes repeat honoree

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

The D2 ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. The D2 ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

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