UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tennis player Petra Januskova and football player John Urschel have been selected as the 2013 recipients of the Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award.
The McCoy Award is presented annually to one senior female and one senior male student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. The award is named for the longtime dean of Penn State’s College of Physical Education, who also served as the University’s athletic director.
Football Coach Bill O’Brien has called Urschel “one of the team’s top players.” From Williamsville, N.Y., the guard is among the Lions’ most experienced linemen and received the 2012 Frank Patrick Total Commitment Award for commitment to academic pursuits, off-season preparation, in-season commitment and community service. After six consecutive semesters with a 4.0 grade point average, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in three years and served as the student marshal for mathematics graduates at commencement. In December he was named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team. He is studying for a master’s degree in mathematics.
Going into the 2012-13 season, Januskova ranked No.52 in the Campbell/ITA college tennis singles poll and No. 42 in doubles. She won the singles tournament at the ITA Atlantic Regionals, defeating the regional No. 3 seed, and went on to compete in two matches at the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. She was named to the All-Big Ten first team in both her sophomore and junior years. From Ottawa, Canada, she is a senior majoring in marketing.