Related
ESU Academic Awards History
ESU places 160 on PSAC Scholar-Athlete list

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University senior javelin standout Matt Tholis has been named the male recipient of the Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the PSAC's top academic honor, as selected by the conference's sports information directors.

Tholis (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery), an Exercise Science major with a 3.91 grade-point average, is the first ESU student-athlete to be recognized as the PSAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

He was the runner-up in the javelin at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships with a mark of 232-0, a school record and the 12th-best in DII history, in his final collegiate meet on May 25.

The Nevins Scholar-Athletes of the Year are selected from the conference's Top 10 award winners, selected seasonally in the fall, winter and spring. Student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA while competing at an outstanding athletic level.

The PSAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, now in its 23rd year, was renamed in 2007 to honor Pete Nevins, ESU's sports information director for 33 years (1969-2002) who passed away earlier that year.

Tholis swept every major conference and regional field athlete award for the 2013 season, including the PSAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year, PSAC Championship Men's Field Athlete of the Meet, and the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year.

He earned his second career All-America honor after placing seventh in the nation as a junior in 2012. He was previously an NCAA DIII qualifier at Rowan in 2010 before transferring to ESU.

Tholis was the PSAC champion with a mark of 223-11 on May 11. He was an NCAA automatic qualifier at 226-5 at Lafayette on March 30, one of four NCAA automatic marks he posted this year.

He hit at least 210-0 in his final seven collegiate meets. After his 226-5 at Lafayette, he threw 222-1 at Millersville, 210-0 at Bucknell, 216-2 at ESU's All-American Meet, 213-11 at the Penn Relays, 223-11 at the PSAC Championships and broke his school record with 232-0 at the NCAA's.

He was named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team, and is a candidate for Academic All-America honors, which will be announced Wednesday.

The female recipient was Clarion's Hannah Heeter, a junior Biology/Pre-Med major with a 3.94 GPA who competes in volleyball and basketball.