ESU Academic Awards Page

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University redshirt senior Devon Ackerman (football) and senior Sydney McCarthy (field hockey) have been named to the 2017 PSAC Fall Top 10 for athletic and academic achievement, the conference announced Friday.

Ackerman (Hanover, Pa./South Western) earns his third career PSAC Top 10 award, and McCarthy (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) is recognized for the first time.

The conference list 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, and each school may nominate two male and two female student-athletes each season.

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

Ackerman, a Biochemistry and Chemical Biotechnology major with a 4.0 GPA through nine semesters (127 credits), was a four-year starter on ESU's offensive line, starting all 44 games in his career.

He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America first team for the third straight year in December, becoming the first three-time first-team Academic All-America selection in school history. He was also named a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy.

Ackerman started all 22 games at center the last two years (2016-17) after starting 22 straight games at left guard his first two seasons (2014-15), following a redshirt year in 2013. He is the fifth ESU player to start every game of his career in the last 15 years. He blocked for two first team All-PSAC East running backs in Jaymar Anderson in 2017, and all-time leading rusher Robert Healy in 2016. Quarterback Matt Soltes and wide receiver Jon Schnaars were both All-America selections in 2015.

McCarthy, an Exercise Science major with a 4.0 GPA through seven semesters (110 credits), was most recently named the NCAA Division II field hockey selection for the Honda Collegiate Woman of the Year Award.

She was named to the NFHCA All-America first team, was the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year and the Synapse Sports DII Defensive Athlete of the Year in helping the Warriors to their third straight NCAA DII Tournament and a national semifinal appearance.

McCarthy had 10 goals and 11 assists for a team-high 31 points while anchoring ESU's defense at center back, leading the Warriors (17-5) to a 66-23 goal differential, holding 15 of 22 opponents to one goal or less and posting 10 shutouts.

McCarthy was named the NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient for DII field hockey as the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the championship site for the second time in her career (2015, 2017) and also repeated as the PSAC Champion Scholar with the same criteria for the PSAC championship site.

She started 64 games over the last three seasons and was the final remaining starter from ESU's 2015 PSAC and NCAA DII championships, both the first in program history. The Warriors went 51-13 in her 64 starts, allowing just 56 goals, with McCarthy contributing 17 goals and 18 assists offensively. She was a second team All-PSAC midfielder as a junior before moving to center back for her senior season.

McCarthy is the third ESU field hockey player honored, joining Emily Howell (2016) and goalkeeper Katie Horst (1997-98).

Ackerman is one of eight ESU football players honored and the first three-time selection. Quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger (2005-06) and linebacker Matt Freed (2009-10) were both honored twice.

The Warriors have had 36 student-athletes earn a total of 54 honors, fourth-most in the 18-school conference, since the PSAC's sports information directors began selecting the lists in 1997-98.


2017 PSAC Fall Top 10

Men
Devon Ackerman, ESU (football)
Alex Balla, Shippensburg (cross country)
Marcus Martin, Slippery Rock (football)
Taylor Nikithser, California (football)
Ryan Zapoticky, Shippensburg (football)

Women
Natalie Cignetti, IUP (volleyball)
Kaitlin Hatch, West Chester (field hockey)
Tess Keeley, Slippery Rock (soccer)
Sydney McCarthy, ESU (field hockey)
Brittany Ryan, Mansfield (field hockey)