Central Islip, N.Y. - Seven student-athletes have been named as recipients of the East Coast Conference (ECC) Spring 2008 Scholar Athlete of the Year for their respective sports. The honorees were selected by the conference coaches of each respective sport.
Three senior student-athletes from Dowling College earned accolades as Chris Caputo of West Islip, N.Y. was named for baseball, Ryan Campbell of Brampton, Ontario was named for men's lacrosse, and Jose Gomez of Asuncion, Paraguay, earned co-student athlete honors for men's tennis.
Senior Zeki Tukel of Mercy College and Istanbul, Turkey shared the men's tennis honor with Dowling's Gomez. Tukel's fellow Mercy student-athlete Chanz Wellington, a senior from Valley Stream, N.Y., earned the honor for men's basketball, sophomore E.J. Dreyer of Molloy College and Floral Park, N.Y. earned the women's basketball award, senior Elaine Williams of LIU/C.W. Post and East Islip, N.Y. was named the women's lacrosse recipient, and senior Dely Francisco of Adelphi University and Havershaw, N.Y. earned the softball scholar-athlete of the year honor.
Caputo, a Business Management major, posted a 3.877 grade point average, while earning ECC All Conference Second Team accolades as a designated hitter. Caputo hit .292 with two home runs and 42 RBI spanning 47 games played.
Campbell, an Elementary Education major, finished with a 3.842 GPA. Playing attack, Campbell rebounded from missing his first seven games of the season due to injury to post 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points in just eight games played on the way to ECC All Conference Second Team honors.
Gomez, an accounting major, earned a 3.458 GPA along with earning First Team ECC All Conference honors.
Tukel, a psychology major, earned a 3.63 GPA, while garnering a 4-6 overall singles record and combined for a 4-7 double mark at the No 1. flight.
Wellington, a Criminal Justice major, posted a 3.37 GPA and was honored as a member of the ECC All Conference Second Team. Wellington averaged 12.3 points per game to lead the Mavericks this season and also led the team in assists with 2.7 per game. He finished his collegiate career with 1,021 points scored, which is good for 10th all-time among Mavericks and finished seventh all-time in assists and eighth in steals.
Dreyer, a Health and Physical Education major, posted a 3.31 GPA and has been a member of the Dean's Lists all four of her semesters, She finished second in the ECC in steals per game and led the Lady Lions in assists and steals, helping guide the team to its first ECC Championship and first NCAA regional appearance.
Williams, a Speech-Language Pathology major, earned a 3.604 GPA. She notched 36 goals and 11 assists for 47 points this season, picking up 32 ground balls and finished her career as the co-leader in C.W. Post all-time games played.
Francisco, who majored in both Physical Education and Health, posted a 3.915 GPA. Francisco, who was the ECC Softball Scholar-Athlete winner in 2006, was a First Team All Conference honoree as an outfielder. She hit .389 with two home runs and 19 RBI over 62 games, and was 12th in the nation in stolen bases, safely stealing 51 of 55 attempts as she retired as the program's all time steals leader. A 2008 Daktronics All-Region selection, she was also a CoSIDA First-Team All-District selection.
Along with the scholar-athlete award winners, the ECC has also announced the spring scholar-athlete honor roll from all seven ECC Fall sports. A complete list of honorees follows.
About the ECC
Comprising 10 colleges and universities from New York and Connecticut, the East Coast Conference was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among ECC member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. Sponsoring 13 championship sports, the ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits.
2008 ECC Spring Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Recipient Yr. School Hometown Major
Men's Basketball
Chanz Wellington Sr. Mercy Valley Stream, N.Y. Criminal Justice
Women's Basketball
E.J. Dreyer So. Molloy Floral Park, N.Y. Nursing
Men's Tennis
Jose Gomez Sr. Dowling Asuncion, Paraguay Accounting
Zeki Tukel Sr. Mercy Istanbul, Turkey Psychology
Baseball
Chris Caputo Sr. Dowling East Islip, N.Y. Business Administration
Softball
Dely Francisco Sr. Adelphi Haverstraw, N.Y. Physical Education / Health
Men's Lacrosse
Ryan Campbell Sr. Dowling Brampton, Ont. Elementary Education
Women's Lacrosse
Elaine Williams Sr. C.W. Post East Islip, N.Y. Speech-Language Pathology
2008 ECC Spring Scholar-Athletes Honor Roll
Recipient Yr. School Hometown Major
Men's Basketball
Chris Diasparra Jr. Adelphi Mahopac, N.Y. Physical Education
David Moreno Sr. C.W. Post Freeport, N.Y. Criminal Justice
Leonard Lans Jr. Dowling Spring Valley, N.Y. Management
Women's Basketball
Gianna Smith Sr. Adelphi Hempstead, N.Y. Communications
Sidney Parsons So. Bridgeport Chandler, Ariz. Psychology/Sociology
Dana Rommel So. Concordia Staten Island, N.Y. Business
Basimah Thompson Sr. C.W. Post Galloway, N.J. Health & Phys. Education
Kristina Mitchell Sr. Dowling Streamwood, Ill. Computer Info. Systems
Emily Bolling Sr. NYIT Palmer, Alaska Advertising
Bathanie Mandresh Jr. Queens Medford, N.Y. Education
Raven Brinkley Jr. St. Thomas Aquinas Rego Park. N.Y Psychology
Lauren Hood Jr. New Haven Ashland, Mass. Mgmt. of Sports Industries
Men's Tennis
Tomasz Walczak Sr. Adelphi Olesnica, Poland Business Administration
Henning Ruenz So. Concordia Muelheim-Kaerlich, Ger. Business
Ariel Nassim Sr. Queens Kings Point, N.Y. Philosophy & Religion
Baseball
Bobby Lanigan Jr. Adelphi Staten Island, N.Y. Sports Management
Matt Kotuby Sr. Bridgeport E. Hampton, Conn. Business Administration
T.J. Walsh So. Concordia Eastchester, N.Y. Education
Brian Chenicek Sr. C.W. Post Levittown, N.Y. Accounting
Craig Ross Sr. Mercy Bellmore, N.Y. Business Administration
Patrick Walsh Jr. Molloy Bellmore, N.Y. Adolescence Education
Chad Lemos Sr. New Haven N. Dartmouth, Mass. Accounting
Daniel Kupec Jr. Queens Lynbrook, N.Y. History
John Mazzello Sr. St. Thomas Aquinas N. Hyde Park, N.Y. History
Softball
Tricia Lee Sr. Bridgeport Long Beach, Calif. Sociology/Criminal Justice
Julie Walsh Jr. Concordia Bellerose, N.Y Math / Behavioral Science
Holly Eringis Sr. C.W. Post Tewksbury, Mass. Early Childhood Education
Alison Gallagher Sr. Dowling Lindenhurst, N.Y. History
Jessica Madick Sr. Mercy Tarzana, Cal. Legal Studies/Pol. Science
Michelle Walsh Jr. Molloy Bellerose, N.Y. Childhood Education
Jordanna Borska Jr. New Haven Commack, N.Y. History
Nicole Mancusi Jr. Queens Staten Island, N.Y. Education
Shannon Donohue Sr. St. Thomas Aquinas Blauvelt, N.Y. Social Science
Men's Lacrosse
Ryan Kelly Jr. Adelphi Baldwin, N.Y. Business Administration
Sean Starke Sr. Molloy Farmingdale, N.Y. Adolescence Education
Chris Powers Jr. NYIT Salt Lake City, Utah Architecture
Women's Lacrosse
Caitlin Hilbert Sr. Adelphi Hempstead, N.Y. Communications
Stephanie Cotter Jr. Dowling Ridge, N.Y. Psychology
Kelly LaClair Jr. Molloy Lindenhurst, N.Y. Nursing
Brigid Brady Jr. New Haven Islip Terrace, N.Y. Political Science
Jennifer Bruen Jr. St. Thomas Aquinas Tappan, N.Y. Psychology
