ESU Academic Awards page  l  Academic All-America history

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University senior forward Ally Roth has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America third team in the women's at-large division, representing ESU's field hockey program, it was released Wednesday.

Roth (Scotrun, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) is the third ESU student-athlete to be named Academic All-America this year, joining wide receiver Jon Schnaars and offensive lineman Devon Ackerman, who were both named to the first team in football.

Roth, who compiled a 3.50 grade-point average through seven semesters as an Exercise Science major, was named to the NFHCA Division II All-America first team for the third straight year, was the NFHCA DII Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year and was the NCAA DII championship game MVP. She converted a penalty stroke in ESU's 1-0 (OT) win vs. Merrimack to deliver the Warriors' first-ever national championship.

She had 21 goals and two assists as a senior, ranking fourth in DII in goals per game and sixth in points per game. She had 74 goals and 24 assists (172 points) in her career, setting ESU records for career goals and points. Her career goal and point totals rank in the top 10 in PSAC history and the top 15 in DII history.

Roth was previously named PSAC Offensive Athlete of the Year as a junior in 2014. She was ESU's second three-time first team All-America selection in program history.

She is the third ESU field hockey athlete to gain Academic All-America honors, joining Katie Horst (1997-99) and Michelle Knapik (1987). The men's and women's at-large teams, announced in the spring, reflect accomplishments during the fall field hockey season.

Roth and junior goalkeeper Danielle Ard were both named to the Academic All-District team on May 12.

ESU's 12 Academic All-District selections in 2015-16 were the most in the PSAC. ESU has led or shared the PSAC lead in Academic All-District selections in four of the last nine years - 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2015-16.

The PSAC is represented by 12 student-athletes on the Academic All-America At-Large teams - eight women and four men. For the women, Kayla Bixler (Millersville, field hockey) was named to the first team; Saioa Gomez De Segura (Mercyhurst, tennis), Lauren Slayton (Clarion, swimming) and Sarah Zerfoss (Clarion, swimming) are on the second team; and Roth, Anna Behm (Kutztown, field hockey), Bridget Hufnagel (Millersville, lacrosse) and Rikki Sargent (Shippensburg, swimming) are on the third team.

For the men, Micah Cattell (Edinboro, swimming) is on the first team; Drew Wolter (Gannon, swimming) is on the second team; and Matt Barto (Gannon, golf) and Stefan Szilagyi (Shippensburg, swimming) is on the third team.


About the Academic All-District and All-America program

The Academic All-District and Academic All-America teams recognize student-athletes for athletic and academic achievements and are nominated and voted on by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

ESU is tied for second in the PSAC with 95 Academic All-District selections in the last nine years (2007-08 through 2015-16).

ESU finished the 2015-16 academic year with 12 Academic All-District selections, the most in the PSAC - Berry, Toth and Zubko; Danielle Ard and Ally Roth (women's at-large - field hockey); Jon Schnaars, Devon Ackerman and Chase May (football); Sammi Ortiz (women's soccer); and Christian Bukowski, Casey Choffy and Jonathan Stuppe (men's soccer).

ESU has three Academic All-America selections so far this year, with Schnaars (wide receiver) and Ackerman (offensive line) both earning first team honors in football and Roth gaining third team honors in the women's at-large category (field hockey).

ESU had five Academic All-America selections in 2014-15 in Bryan Thomson (defensive line, 1st team) and Schnaars (wide receiver, 2nd team) in football; Jay Young (infield, 2nd team) in baseball; Christina O'Connor (1st team) in women's track & field/cross country; and Zubko (2nd team) in men's track & field/cross country.

This marks the fifth year that separate teams have been selected for Division II, Division III and College Division (NAIA/Canadian schools/two-year schools) institutions. The previous "College Division" included all DII, DIII, Canadian and junior college programs.

District 2 of Division II follows the NCAA's regional model and includes all schools from the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference), Mountain East Conference and CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association). The Northeast-10 Conference is also included in the region for football.

ESU has had 40 student-athletes combine for 56 Academic All-America awards in school history. Twenty-two student-athletes have combined for 32 awards in the last eight years.

At the district level, 94 ESU student-athletes have combined for 136 Academic All-District selections.