ESU Academic Awards History

EAST STROUDSBURG – Four East Stroudsburg University athletes – seniors Dan Johnson and Ian Melhorn, and juniors Corinne Fitzgerald and Rose Mascoli – have been named to the Capital One Academic All-America team for Division II Track & Field/Cross Country, it was announced Wednesday.

ESU's four total selections are tied with Shippensburg for the most in the PSAC, and tied for the second-most in Division II. ESU and Shippensburg were also two of four schools in Division II with multiple selections to both the men's and women's teams, joining Central Missouri and Wayne State (Neb.).

Mascoli (Lebanon/Lebanon Catholic), who earns a spot on the women's first team after being named to the third team as a sophomore, becomes the eighth multiple-time Academic All-American in school history. An Exercise Science major with a 3.98 grade-point average, she was an NCAA provisional qualifier in five events between indoor and outdoor track after a standout cross country season. Mascoli was an All-American in cross country and the 5K and 10K in outdoor track as a sophomore.

Johnson (York/York Suburban) was named to the men's first team, capping a season in which he became the first All-American and national qualifier in the decathlon in program history and won PSAC titles in the heptathlon and decathlon. He is a Sociology major who graduated with a 3.82 GPA and was selected as ESU's Men's Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year last month.

Melhorn (York/Eastern York), named to the men's second team, was the PSAC champion in the indoor 200m dash and anchored the winning 4x100m relay outdoors for the last of his six career PSAC relay titles. He was also an NCAA provisional qualifier in the indoor 200 and is a Sport Management major with a 3.66 GPA.

Fitzgerald (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) was named to the women's second team and earned a spot on the Academic All-District team – the prerequisite for the Academic All-America team – for the second straight year. A Psychology major with a 3.94 GPA,  she was an NCAA Division II national qualifier in cross country and the 3000m steeplechase and won the PSAC title in the steeplechase this spring.

In all, the Warriors' four selections have combined for five All-America honors, 10 PSAC championships and 11 school records in their careers at ESU.

ESU had five Academic All-America selections in 2011-12, with the four track and field athletes joined by men's soccer forward Nemanja Nikolic.

ESU is one of six PSAC schools with at least five Academic All-Americans this year – California (12), Shippensburg (7), Gannon (6), ESU (5), Mercyhurst (5) and Slippery Rock (5). Overall, the conference combined for 55 Academic All-Americans across all sports.


About the Academic All-America Program

The Academic All-America program is administered by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). SID's nominate and vote on the student-athletes at the district level with first team selections moving on to the national level. ESU's district – District 2 – is comprised of the schools in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), WV Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

This year marks the first time that separate teams are being selected in Division II and Division III, both at the district and national level. Previous selections came in a combined College Division, comprised of DII and DIII.

ESU had 10 total Academic All-District selections this year, marking the fifth straight year with at least 10 student-athletes mentioned. ESU is one of four PSAC schools with at least 10 selections in the 16-school conference.

The Warriors have had 55 student-athletes named Academic All-District in their respective sports since 2007-08, and have led the PSAC in three of the last five years. ESU had a school-record 15 selections to lead the conference in 2010-11, and also led with 10 in 2007-08 and shared the lead with 10 in 2008-09.

ESU's 10 selections this year were Ashley McKenna (women's soccer), Nemanja Nikolic and Khriswayne Wallace (men's soccer), Eric Boyer (baseball), Rebecca Smith (softball), Brendan McKeown (men's at-large/wrestling), Johnson, Melhorn, Fitzgerald and Mascoli. All but two – Johnson and Melhorn – were underclassmen.

ESU has had 26 student-athletes combine for 35 Academic All-America mentions in program history. Mascoli can join Laura Mason (track & field, 1983-85) and Katie Horst (field hockey, 1997-99) as ESU's only three-time Academic All-Americans next spring.


Profiles on ESU's four Academic All-Americans are below:

Rose Mascoli (Lebanon/Lebanon Catholic), Junior, 3.98, Exercise Science
Repeated as Academic All-America … named to 1st team after earning a spot on the 3rd team in 2011 (one of four sophomores among 45 selections) … 2-time Academic All-District 1st team … NCAA provisional qualifier in 5 events this year – outdoor 3K, 5K and 10K, and indoor 5K and  Distance Medley Relay … scored in 6 events at PSAC Championships … outdoors, was 2nd in 10K, 4th in 3K and 5th in 1500 to score 17 points as ESU was PSAC runner-up … indoors, was 4th in 5K, 6th in 3K and 7th in mile … won all four regular season meets in cross country, beating a total of 609 competitors … placed 5th in PSAC and 8th in Atlantic Region … three-time All-America as a sophomore (cross country, 5K and 10K in outdoor track) …set school records in outdoor 3K, 5K and 10K … also has ESU's #2 times in indoor mile and outdoor 1500 … 11-time scorer in PSAC Championships … did not compete in indoor track during first two seasons (member of ESU swimming program) … 2-time All-PSAC and All-Region in cross country … 2-time PSAC Top 10 for athletic/academic achievement.

Corinne Fitzgerald (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills), Junior, 3.94, Psychology
Named to Academic All-America 2nd team … 2-time Academic All-District (2nd team in 2011) … NCAA Division II national qualifier in cross country and outdoor track & field … set school record (10:41.72) and was NCAA participant in 3000m steeplechase during outdoor season … PSAC champion in steeplechase and placed 3rd in 10,000 … broke her own school record in steeplechase at Penn Relays … member of NCAA provisional qualifying Distance Medley Relay during indoor season … competed at NCAA Championships in cross country and placed 5th in Atlantic Region … indoor track, has ESU's #2 time in 3K and #3 times in mile and 5K … outdoor track, has ESU's #6 times in 3K, 5K and 10K along with school record in steeplechase … 5-time individual scorer at PSAC Championships … 2-time All-PSAC in cross country … placed 6th this year.

Dan Johnson (York/York Suburban), Senior, 3.82, Sociology
Named to Academic All-America 1st team … ESU Men's Senior Scholar-Athlete … All-America in decathlon at NCAA Championships, placing 8th … ESU's first All-America decathlete … PSAC champion and school record setter in both decathlon (6,925) and heptathlon (4,866) … NCAA provisional qualifier in multi, indoor and outdoor, every season since sophomore year … PSAC Field Athlete of the Meet and Field Athlete of the Year during indoor season … 15-time scorer at PSAC Championships, including all eight meets in the multis (placed top 3 in multis five times) … was also 7-time scorer in high jump and as high as 3rd … has spots on ESU's top 10 lists in indoor 60m hurdles and outdoor high jump … PR'd in 6 of 10 events to set school record in decathlon at PSAC Championships … PR'd in 3 of 7 events to set heptathlon record indoors.

Ian Melhorn (York/Eastern York), Senior, 3.66, Sport Management
Named to Academic All-America 2nd team … PSAC champion in 200m dash indoors and 4x100m relay outdoors … named PSAC Track Athlete of the Meet at indoor championships … placed 4th in 60m dash and ran on 2nd-place 4x400 relay … outdoors, was 3rd in 200, 6th in 100, anchored 4x100 relay to PSAC title and ran on 4th-place 4x400 relay … 6-time PSAC relay champion … 2-time NCAA provisional qualifier in indoor 200, and 6-time provisional qualifier in relays … All-America in 4x100 relay in 2010 … holds school record in indoor 60m dash (7.00) … member of 4 school record relays (indoor 4x200 and 4x400, outdoor 4x100 and 4x200) … ranks in top 10 in 7 individual events, including #1 indoor 60, #2 indoor 300, #3 indoor 200 and #2 outdoor 200 … member of 3 fastest indoor 4x400 relays in school history, 3 of top 4 4x100 relays and top 2 outdoor 4x200 relays … 9-time individual scorer and 8-time relay scorer at PSAC Championships.