Athletics

Athletics banquet recognizes record number of scholar-athletes

A record number of 111 Penn State Berks “scholar-athletes,” student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 and above, were recognized at the Penn State Berks Athletics Banquet on Monday, April 25, in the Beaver Community Center.

In order to be recognized for the award, the student-athletes needed a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The 2015-16 academic year saw a record number of 111 recipients receive scholar-athlete honors.

The Team GPA Award also had one of the tightest races in program history with a school-record of 10 sports earning a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Coming in third place was the Men's Tennis Team with a 3.37 GPA, while the Softball program finished runner-up with a 3.48 GPA. Taking home the prize for highest team GPA was the Women's Tennis squad with a 3.52 cumulative average.

Other highlights from the evening included speeches from the coaches of each of the NCAA-Division III varsity sports teams about their respective seasons, followed by a spotlight on the career highlights of the seniors on their teams. Those seniors who completed a four-year career with Berks received a Nittany Lion statue and a certificate of recognition.

The final honor of the evening was the Sheila Ridley Award, presented to a student-athlete who has shown extraordinary courage or has provided extraordinary inspiration. The 2015-16 recipient was Drew Weinhold, a senior from the Men's Tennis Team. Weinhold has been a four-year standout on the tennis court, while also holding various positions as a member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has given his time for many community service projects, such as volunteering with the Greater Berks Food Bank for their food drives. On campus, Weinhold has had a significant role in helping coordinate “pink game” fundraisers, as well as collecting donations from fans and conducting contests to raise money for the Breast Cancer Support Services of Berks County. He has been the No. 1 singles player and part of the No. 1 doubles team in every single match he has played in during his career. He is the all-time leader with 74 combined wins, 39 singles wins, and 35 wins in doubles. Weinhold was the NEAC Rookie of the Year, two-time NEAC Player of the Year, and five-time NEAC Player of the Week. In addition, Weinhold has been a two-time NEAC Scholar-Athlete.

The Penn State Berks Annual Athletics Banquet is sponsored by the Penn State Berks Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. For a full listing of all the award winners, visit http://psuberksathletics.com/news/2016/4/26/general-saac-hosts-2015-16-athletics-banquet.aspx.

 

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated April 28, 2016