EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University senior Dan Johnson has been named to the PSAC Top 10 for athletic and academic achievement for the Winter 2011-12 season, the conference announced Thursday.

Johnson (York/York Suburban), a Sociology major with a 3.82 cumulative grade-point average, was named the PSAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year, and the PSAC Men's Field Athlete of the Meet at the PSAC Championships, for the indoor track and field season.

Johnson won the heptathlon, the first PSAC title of his career, with a school-record 4,866 points at the PSAC Championships at Edinboro in late February. He also tied for third in the high jump at 6-3 1/2.

He hit personal bests in three of the seven events in the heptathlon to break his previous school record by 69 points. He opened with a PR of 7.50 seconds in the 60m dash, had a mark of 19-6 in the long jump, a PR of 39-1 3/4 in the shot put and finished Friday's four events with a season-best of 6-6 in the high jump.

He entered Saturday in third place but was just 13 points behind the leader, and moved in front with a time of 8.91 seconds in the 60m hurdles. He PR'd with a mark of 13-3 1/2 in the pole vault and finished with a time of 2:47.20, just over two seconds off his personal best, in the 1000m run.

Johnson, who also holds the school record in the decathlon outdoors, finished the winter as a five-time NCAA Division II provisional qualifier in the multis. He added a sixth provisional mark in the decathlon to open the outdoor season last month.

He has four career top-3 finishes in the multis in his career at ESU and has scored in all seven PSAC meets in which he has competed. He was third in the heptathlon as a junior in 2011, second in the decathlon as a sophomore in 2010 and placed third as a junior.

He has also scored in the high jump at six of the last seven PSAC Championships and his finish indoors, tied for third, represented his top placement in the event.

The PSAC Top 10 program recognizes outstanding student-athletes with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average who are starters or significant contributors for their team. All of the student-athletes selected in the fall, winter and spring seasons will be placed on the ballot for the PSAC Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, which is presented to one male and one female athlete at the conclusion of the academic year.

ESU has had 10 student-athletes, including Johnson, combine for 15 Top 10 honors in the last four years – second-most in the PSAC behind Shippensburg with 19. ESU has had a selection on nine of the last 10 Top 10 lists.

The Warriors have had 27 student-athletes earn a total of 39 honors, tied for third-most in the 16-school conference, since the PSAC's sports information directors began selecting the lists in 1997-98.

Johnson is the sixth men's track and field athlete to earn Top 10 status for ESU. Paul Wagner was recognized three times from 2009-10, Dan Gale was mentioned in 2004 and 2006, Mark Stinson was honored in 2001 and 2003, Colin Fisher was named in 1999 and Rob Stone was on the list in 1998.

Johnson is joined on the men's Top 10 list by two other track and field standouts, Mansfield sprinter Justen Johnson and Shippensburg distance runner Stephen Schelander. Johnson was named the PSAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and Schelander was the MVP at the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Shippensburg's John Corrigan (basketball) and Lock Haven's Seth Creasy (wrestling) were also recognized.

The women's list included Edinboro's Tabitha Bemis (track & field), Mercyhurst's Nikki Frederickson (basketball) and three All-America swimmers – Jackie Hynson (IUP), Brittany Rehrig (Lock Haven) and Kyla Shull (Clarion).


2011-12 PSAC Winter Top 10 List

Men
John Corrigan, Shippensburg, basketball
Seth Creasy, Lock Haven, wrestling
Dan Johnson, ESU, track & field
Justen Johnson, Mansfield, track & field
Stephen Schelander, Shippensburg, track & field

Women
Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro, track & field
Nikki Frederickson, Mercyhurst, basketball
Jackie Hynson, IUP, swimming
Brittany Rehrig, Lock Haven, swimming
Kayla Shull, Clarion, swimming