NEW YORK – Villanova University has been named the inaugural winner of the BIG EAST Presidents' Award, which has been newly established by the BIG EAST Conference to annually recognize a member institution that has excelled in the areas of academics, athletics and citizenship. Villanova is being honored for its accomplishments for the 2014-15 academic year.
A selection committee made up of athletic and academic administrators from each BIG EAST institution was formed this summer to select the Presidents' Award winner, with each institution submitting nominations highlighting their student-athletes' accomplishments in the three areas during 2014-15. Going forward, the Presidents' Award winner will chosen and announced each fall on the basis of performance during the immediately preceding academic year.
"We are very proud to announce the creation of the BIG EAST Presidents' Award, which is designed to recognize the complete range of endeavors undertaken by student-athletes in our conference," said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. "The performance of Villanova student-athletes in athletic competition, the classroom and the community last year was outstanding, and we commend Father Peter Donohue, former Athletics Director Vince Nicastro and his staff, and VU faculty and administration for establishing a culture of excellence in all of these areas on campus."
"I am proud of our student athletes for receiving the inaugural Presidents' Award," said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, Villanova University President. "At Villanova, our student athletes are first and foremost students, and this award recognizes their commitment to their education and serving others while competing at the highest level in collegiate athletics. I commend the BIG EAST Conference for recognizing the accomplishments of its student athletes beyond the field of competition, and congratulations to Villanova's student athletes, coaches and athletics staff who share this honor."
Academics -- Villanova student-athletes achieved an overall Grade Point Average of 3.208 for the 2014-15 academic year, with a total of 132 Villanova student-athletes in the fall and 131 in the spring making the Dean's List. Villanova's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR), the two measures of academic success used by the NCAA, are among the highest rankings in the nation. Twelve Villanova teams earned APR public recognition including men's cross country, golf, men's lacrosse, men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, women's soccer, women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, women's indoor track and field and volleyball.
Individually, Sam McEntee, a member of the men's cross country team, won the BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete Award for 2014-15. Stephanie Schappert, a member of the women's cross country and track teams, won the BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award. She also earned the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship Award for indoor track.
Villanova student-athletes were also named winners of the 2014-15 BIG EAST Sport Excellence Awards in their respective sports, as follows: McEntee (men's cross country), Kaisa Kollanus (women's swimming and diving) and Patrick Tiernan (men's indoor track and field and outdoor track).
Athletics – The men's basketball team won its second straight regular-season title with a 16-2 record and its first BIG EAST Tournament crown since 1995, finishing the season with a 33-3 overall record. Ryan Arcidiacono was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year; Josh Hart won the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the BIG EAST Tournament; and Coach Jay Wright was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
The legendary Villanova track program added to its long history of success in 2014-15. The Villanova men earned BIG EAST crowns in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Tiernan was the cross country individual champion, and Coach Marcus O'Sullivan and his staff were named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. In the indoor track championships, Jordan Williamsz was named Most Outstanding Performer. The Villanova women won their 14th league indoor track crown, with Katherine Petruzzellis named as Most Outstanding Field Performer.
In outdoor track, the men recorded their 14th conference title and produced three All-Americans. The team also earned its 97th Penn Relays title in the 4xMile relay, the most in meet history. The women won six different events at the BIG EAST Championship and set meet records for the highest team score and largest margin of victory. Angel Piccirillo was also named Athlete of the Meet at the Penn Relays.
For the second straight year, the women's swimming and diving team won the BIG EAST Championship, with sixteen Wildcats earning All-BIG EAST recognition.
Villanova had five other teams qualify for the tournament field in BIG EAST Championships, as follows: men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer and softball. The women's basketball team compiled its third straight winning season, finished with a 22-14 record and received a WNIT berth.
Citizenship – In all, Villanova student-athletes logged 2,940 hours of community service through a variety of activities in 2014-15.
The university sponsors an annual St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration, which includes a full day of service. More than 400 student-athletes participated in last year's event by helping with set-up on campus for teams competing during the weekend and traveling to local parishes, elementary schools, YMCAs, community organizations and parks.
Villanova student-athletes and all 24 of its varsity teams are active volunteers for the annual Special Olympics Fall Festival for the state of Pennsylvania, which the school hosts. Villanova also hosts a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January, sending student-athletes out into the local community and hosting approximately 200 Philadelphia area youth on campus for mini-Michelle Obama "Let's Move Clinics." In 2014-15, 112 student-athletes participated.
During Villanova's Student-Athlete Week in 2015, five student-athletes spent an afternoon as guest readers at the local Radnor Township Memorial Library. They also spent time with patients at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Six VU teams – women's basketball, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field – also hosted youth clinics on a day off from classes.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,000 student-athletes on over 180 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in seven of the country's top 35 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
http://www.bigeast.com/news/2015/10/1/GEN_1001151142.aspx
A selection committee made up of athletic and academic administrators from each BIG EAST institution was formed this summer to select the Presidents' Award winner, with each institution submitting nominations highlighting their student-athletes' accomplishments in the three areas during 2014-15. Going forward, the Presidents' Award winner will chosen and announced each fall on the basis of performance during the immediately preceding academic year.
"We are very proud to announce the creation of the BIG EAST Presidents' Award, which is designed to recognize the complete range of endeavors undertaken by student-athletes in our conference," said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. "The performance of Villanova student-athletes in athletic competition, the classroom and the community last year was outstanding, and we commend Father Peter Donohue, former Athletics Director Vince Nicastro and his staff, and VU faculty and administration for establishing a culture of excellence in all of these areas on campus."
"I am proud of our student athletes for receiving the inaugural Presidents' Award," said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, Villanova University President. "At Villanova, our student athletes are first and foremost students, and this award recognizes their commitment to their education and serving others while competing at the highest level in collegiate athletics. I commend the BIG EAST Conference for recognizing the accomplishments of its student athletes beyond the field of competition, and congratulations to Villanova's student athletes, coaches and athletics staff who share this honor."
Academics -- Villanova student-athletes achieved an overall Grade Point Average of 3.208 for the 2014-15 academic year, with a total of 132 Villanova student-athletes in the fall and 131 in the spring making the Dean's List. Villanova's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR), the two measures of academic success used by the NCAA, are among the highest rankings in the nation. Twelve Villanova teams earned APR public recognition including men's cross country, golf, men's lacrosse, men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, women's soccer, women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, women's indoor track and field and volleyball.
Individually, Sam McEntee, a member of the men's cross country team, won the BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete Award for 2014-15. Stephanie Schappert, a member of the women's cross country and track teams, won the BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award. She also earned the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship Award for indoor track.
Villanova student-athletes were also named winners of the 2014-15 BIG EAST Sport Excellence Awards in their respective sports, as follows: McEntee (men's cross country), Kaisa Kollanus (women's swimming and diving) and Patrick Tiernan (men's indoor track and field and outdoor track).
Athletics – The men's basketball team won its second straight regular-season title with a 16-2 record and its first BIG EAST Tournament crown since 1995, finishing the season with a 33-3 overall record. Ryan Arcidiacono was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year; Josh Hart won the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the BIG EAST Tournament; and Coach Jay Wright was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
The legendary Villanova track program added to its long history of success in 2014-15. The Villanova men earned BIG EAST crowns in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Tiernan was the cross country individual champion, and Coach Marcus O'Sullivan and his staff were named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. In the indoor track championships, Jordan Williamsz was named Most Outstanding Performer. The Villanova women won their 14th league indoor track crown, with Katherine Petruzzellis named as Most Outstanding Field Performer.
In outdoor track, the men recorded their 14th conference title and produced three All-Americans. The team also earned its 97th Penn Relays title in the 4xMile relay, the most in meet history. The women won six different events at the BIG EAST Championship and set meet records for the highest team score and largest margin of victory. Angel Piccirillo was also named Athlete of the Meet at the Penn Relays.
For the second straight year, the women's swimming and diving team won the BIG EAST Championship, with sixteen Wildcats earning All-BIG EAST recognition.
Villanova had five other teams qualify for the tournament field in BIG EAST Championships, as follows: men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer and softball. The women's basketball team compiled its third straight winning season, finished with a 22-14 record and received a WNIT berth.
Citizenship – In all, Villanova student-athletes logged 2,940 hours of community service through a variety of activities in 2014-15.
The university sponsors an annual St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration, which includes a full day of service. More than 400 student-athletes participated in last year's event by helping with set-up on campus for teams competing during the weekend and traveling to local parishes, elementary schools, YMCAs, community organizations and parks.
Villanova student-athletes and all 24 of its varsity teams are active volunteers for the annual Special Olympics Fall Festival for the state of Pennsylvania, which the school hosts. Villanova also hosts a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January, sending student-athletes out into the local community and hosting approximately 200 Philadelphia area youth on campus for mini-Michelle Obama "Let's Move Clinics." In 2014-15, 112 student-athletes participated.
During Villanova's Student-Athlete Week in 2015, five student-athletes spent an afternoon as guest readers at the local Radnor Township Memorial Library. They also spent time with patients at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Six VU teams – women's basketball, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field – also hosted youth clinics on a day off from classes.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,000 student-athletes on over 180 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in seven of the country's top 35 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
http://www.bigeast.com/news/2015/10/1/GEN_1001151142.aspx
