ESU Academic Awards History

Related:
Postseason Honors (FH) (PDF)
Postseason Honors (FB) (PDF)


EAST STROUDSBURG - Junior Emily Howell (field hockey) and redshirt senior Jon Schnaars and redshirt sophomore Devon Ackerman (football) have been named to the PSAC Fall Top 10 for athletic and academic achievement, the conference announced Thursday.

ESU gained three of the 10 spots on the conference list, which honors five male and five female student-athletes among the conference's 18 institutions.

The program requires at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average to be eligible for nomination. Each school may nominate two male and two female student-athletes.

Howell (Bangor, Pa./Bangor), a Health and Physical Education major with a 3.79 grade-point average, was named to the NFHCA All-America first team, All-PSAC first team and was the PSAC Tournament MVP, helping the Warriors win their first-ever PSAC and NCAA Division II championships.

She started all 22 games at left back, helping ESU rank second in DII in goals against average (0.77). Offensively, she added four goals and three assists. She was named PSAC Tournament MVP for her play in ESU's 3-1 win vs. West Chester and 1-0 win vs. Millersville in the PSAC Tournament.

Howell maintained a 4.0 GPA during the fall 2015 semester. A two-year starter and three-year letterwinner, she was a backup forward as a freshman and starting midfielder (13 games) as a sophomore before transitioning to back as a junior and earning first team All-America honors.

Howell is the second ESU field hockey player named to the PSAC Top 10, joining goalkeeper Katie Horst, who was recognized in 1997 and 1998.

Ackerman (Hanover, Pa./South Western), a Biochemistry major with a 4.0 GPA through five semesters, and Schnaars (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), a Business Management major with a 3.51 GPA, were both named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team this fall, highlighting their academic honors.

Ackerman started all 11 games at left guard in 2015 and has started all 22 games in his first two seasons after redshirting as a freshman in 2013. He helped provide protection for an offense that ranked second of 169 DII schools in passing (361.5 ypg), 10th in total offense (488.0 ypg) and 14th in scoring offense (40.0 ppg).

Schnaars has earned All-America honors from the Associated Press (AP Little All-America first team), AFCA (one team selected) and D2CCA (first team - selected by sports information directors), as well as consensus first team All-Region status and a spot on the All-PSAC East first team.

He was DII's leading receiver in 2015, pacing the nation in receptions (10.4 per game), yards (146.4 per game) and TD (22). He had 114 catches for 1,610 yards in 11 contests and ranks 2nd in PSAC history in receptions, 3rd in yards and t-2nd in TD. His 2015 season ranks in the top 15 in DII in all three categories.

Schnaars set PSAC records with 20 catches and 7 TD (for 218 yards) vs. Shippensburg and had 100+ yards in nine of 11 games, including 200+ in three games. He was ESU's first AFCA All-America selection since 1991.

In his career, Schnaars had 239 catches (1st at ESU, 5th in PSAC), 3,447 yards (3rd at ESU, 8th in PSAC) and 45 TD (2nd at ESU, t-5th in PSAC).

Schnaars was a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy, one of two selected from the PSAC.

Ackerman and Schnaars are the seventh and eighth ESU football players named to the PSAC Top 10 and the first since linebacker Matt Freed, who was selected in 2009 and 2010. Other recipients are quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger (2005-06), defensive back Matt Crispell (2004), linebacker Matt Rapa (2004), defensive back Nick Beisker (2002) and linebacker Mike Rhine (1999).

The other three members of the men's top 10 list are Alex Hampel (IUP - cross country), John Matarazzo (Mercyhurst - football) and Josh Smith (Bloomsburg - soccer).

The women's team includes women's soccer athletes Mani Brueckner (Gannon) and Chrissy Hollan (Bloomsburg), and women's volleyball athletes Kaley Pittsley and Morgan Seybold, both from Clarion.

The Warriors have had 33 student-athletes earn a total of 47 honors, tied for fifth-most in the 18 school conference, since the PSAC's sports information directors began selecting the lists in 1997-98.

All 30 PSAC student-athletes (15 male, 15 female) selected during the academic year are eligible for consideration for the PSAC Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which is presented to one male and one female in June.


2015 PSAC Fall Top 10 List

Women
Mani Brueckner, Gannon (women's soccer)
Chrissy Hollan, Bloomsburg (women's soccer)
Emily Howell, ESU (field hockey)
Kaley Pittsley, Clarion (women's volleyball)
Morgan Seybold, Clarion (women's volleyball)

Men
Devon Ackerman, ESU (football)
Alex Hampel, IUP (men's cross country)
John Matarazzo, Mercyhurst (football)
Jon Schnaars, ESU (football)
Josh Smith, Bloomsburg (men's soccer)