Eastern Mennonite’s talented lower classes were well-represented, compiling six of the seven honorees.Ěý Five freshmen were on the team: (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman), (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and Ěý(Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim).Ěý Sophomore (Creighton, Pa./Deer Lakes) was named for the second straight time while junior (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey) made his third consecutive appearance on the team.

With just five upper classmen on the 15-man roster, the Royals finished 14-10 this year, including 3-9 in the conference.Ěý They missed making the four-team CVC Tournament by just one win.

A total of 39 student-athletes were recognized as members of the Continental Volleyball Conference All-Academic Team for the 2015 season. ĚýIn order for a player to earn All-Academic Team honors he must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average.

All seven CVC school members were represented on the 2015 list with Juniata College leading the way with eight All-Academic members. Ěý˛ÝÝŽÉçÇř had second most with seven players, while Stevenson University was third with six players.

Senior (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) and sophomoreĚý (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) each claimed their first Academic All-District honor, in a vote done by the district’s College Sports Information Directors of America members. Junior (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) earned a spot on the women’s side, also a first for her.

Landis holds a 3.94 GPA as a double major in congregational and youth ministries along with biblical studies.Ěý He was named the ODAC’s Scholar-Athlete for men’s cross country, earning All-ODAC and All-Region honors en route to a trip to the NCAA National Championships.Ěý Landis has also been a Ministry Assistant at EMU before missing the indoor and outdoor track seasons when he studied in the Middle East during the spring semester.

Denlinger carries a lofty 3.98 GPA through two years at Eastern Mennonite as a biology (pre-med) major. He was voted the ODAC’s Scholar-Athlete for men’s indoor track & field and earned All-ODAC Third Team honors in the both indoor and outdoor 800m. Denlinger is also a Community Advisor at EMU and is part of the school’s Student Government Association.

Chappell-Dick has a 3.87 GPA as a biology major and recently completed a stellar season with a pair of All-America titles.Ěý The middle distance runner took third last weekend in the 1500m at the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships.Ěý At the indoor meet she placed second in the mile.Ěý Including cross country, Chappell-Dick landed six All-ODAC First Team honors this year and was named the South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track & field.Ěý She was also the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for cross country, indoor and outdoor track.

Eastern Mennonite helped the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to a dominant showing on the Academic All-District teams, as the conference staked 11 of the total possible 24 spots.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

All of the All-District honorees are now eligible for the All-America teams, which will be announced on June 23.

Earlier this winter, the Royals’ 5-10 forward was named Academic All-District in District 5, which includes much of the southeastern states in the U.S.

Rheinheimer studied in Honduras in the summer of 2013 as part of EMU’s . She is on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Academic Team and the Royals All-Academic Team, as well as Eastern Mennonite’s dean’s list.

Just as talented on the basketball court as she is in the classroom, Rheinheimer enters this week’s ODAC Tournament averaging a league-best 19.6 points along with 7.4 rebounds, 10th in the ODAC. Rheinheimer also tops the conference in field goals (183) and is second in three point percentage (42.2%), sixth in field goal percentage (51.0%), seventh in blocks (24) and 12th in steals (40).

An All-ODAC Second Team selection last spring as a part-time starter, Rheinheimer has taken off this year. She was named the USBWA National Player of the Week after scoring 29 points with 12 rebounds against Christopher Newport on Dec. 30 followed by 41 and 10 against Washington on Jan. 3. Rheinheimer has also earned ODAC Player of the Week and D3hoops.com National Team of the Week honors twice each this year.

Eastern Mennonite’s women’s basketball team, coached by in his 10th season at EMU, is the top seed in the ODAC Tournament this week, carrying a record of 21-3 overall and 15-1 in the ODAC. The women are also riding a 10-game winning streak and they look for their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Ěý(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) had her best finish of the year, earning the runner-up medal.Ěý She crossed the 6k course in 23:45.1, following only Bridgewater’s Kaylee Kubisiak, who won her second Old Dominion Athletic Conference title in 23:35.6.

FreshmanĚýĚý(Dover, Ohio/Dover) came in third in her first go-around at the ODAC Championships, clocking a time of 24:10.8. ĚýShe took a full 67 seconds off her race on the same course as the ODAC Preview.Ěý Both Chappell-Dick, who didn’t run at the ODAC Preview, and Lehman earned All-ODAC First Team honors with their finishes.

Ěý(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen) landed on the All-ODAC Second Team as she crossed 13th with a time of 25:28.9.ĚýĚýĚý(Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) andĚýĚý(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) followed each other through the chute as they rounded out EMU’s top five.Ěý Eckman was 18th in 25:49.4 while Kreider was 19th in 26:03.0, beating a Roanoke runner by half a step.

FreshmanĚýĚý(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) was sixth for the Royals, taking 26th in 26:27.1, whileĚýĚý(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) was 46th in 27:46.7.

The Royals charted 55 points as a team to finish second.Ěý BC won the title with 42 points, as the two friendly rivals dominated the race with 11 of the top 19 finishers.Ěý Washington and Lee was third with 83 points.

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said the ODAC race set up his runners for the upcoming regional meet.

“I’m really proud of the team today,” said Lewkowicz.Ěý “The conditions were tough but they responded to my challenge to embrace the opportunity to compete and show their toughness, which they did.Ěý The women stuck their nose into the race hoping to win and although they fell a little short, you can’t complain about their effort and strong runner-up finish.Ěý This effort gives us a lot of momentum as we prepare for regionals.”

ODAC Awards
Aside from the All-ODAC honorees, the women claimed two special awards from the league.

Kat LehmanĚýwas named the ODAC Rookie of the Year, as she was the top D-III runner at three of her four races during the regular season.Ěý She was named ODAC Runner of the Week three times during the year as well.

JuniorĚýHannah Chappell-DickĚýwas voted the women’s cross country ODAC Scholar-Athlete, charting a 3.84 GPA as a biology and kinesiology double major.Ěý She has been named to the ODAC All-Academic Team and USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice each, is a three-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, and went to nationals in both cross country and outdoor track (800m) as a sophomore.

EMU’s runners have an off weekend next week as they prepare for the South/Southeast Regional Championships.Ěý That meet is Nov. 15 in Rome, Ga.

The Royals were one of 158 institutions to earn an All-Academic Team recognition.Ěý Eastern Mennonite had a team GPA of 3.40, easily qualifying for the award for the second straight year.Ěý To earn the award, a team must have a cumulative GPA of 3.10 or higher.

Chappell-Dick, who broke two EMU records and made a trip to nationals in the outdoor season, was one of 416 individuals to land a spot on the USTFCCCA’s All-Academic team.Ěý The middle distance runner had the 10th-best 800m time in the nation during the season and became EMU’s first female track athlete at nationals since 2008.

To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met either of the following athletic standards: competed in an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championship or finished the regular season ranked in the national top 35 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 25 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org.

Chappell-Dick, a kinesiology major, put together a 3.84 GPA to earn her second consecutive All-Academic Team award.Ěý Despite recovering from a bout with mono during the indoor season, Chappell-Dick broke outdoor program records in both the 800m and 1500m.Ěý She also went to the cross country national championships last fall.

All of EMU’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.Ěý Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.Ěý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ěý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet atĚý. ĚýDon’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC onĚýĚýand followĚýĚýon Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.ĚýĚý

EMU’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

The Lady Royals had a cumulative GPA of 3.34. EMU was the only school from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to earn the award.

“Excellence doesn’t happen by accident, either on the court or in the classroom,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “It takes consistent preparation, relentless effort, and determined leadership. A full year of academic achievement, by an entire team of individual students, is a remarkable achievement. What better way to start a new season than with a celebration of an award so emblematic of all that is necessary for sustained success.”

The AVCA Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA’s fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-01 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but one, while amassing an overall 300% increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award’s inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 622.

In Coach Jeff Tyson’s first year, Eastern Mennonite finished 4-19 in 2012. They host the six-team EMU Invitational to open the 2013 campaign on Aug. 30 and 31.

The Lady Royals were one of 148 institutions to earn an All-Academic Team recognition.Ěý Eastern Mennonite had a team GPA of 3.10, just hitting the benchmark for team status.

Chappell-Dick, who set five program records during the indoor and outdoor seasons, was one of 363 individuals to land a spot on the USTFCCCA’s All-Academic team.

To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met either of the following athletic standards: a student-athlete must have competed in an NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championship or finished the regular season ranked in the national top 35 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 25 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org.

Chappell-Dick, a major, put together a 3.79 GPA and finished 27th in the nation in the 800m with a top time of 2:13.19.Ěý In her first year at EMU, she broke school records in the indoor 800m and 1500m, and then in the 800m, mile and 3000m in the outdoor season.

EMU was named as an All-Academic Team by the . Pomona-Pitzer of California had the second-highest team GPA at 3.71.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 or better.Ěý A total of 197 institutions represent 39 conferences that compose the group. ĚýThe MIAC had the most squads on the list with 11, followed by the NESCAC, Centennial Conference, and Middle Atlantic Conference which followed with 10.

Other schools given All-Academic status were: Bridgewater, Guilford, Roanoke, Shenandoah, Virginia Wesleyan and Washington and Lee.

Eastern Mennonite’s young team was ranked as high as No. 5 in the South/Southeast Regional rankings this fall.

The Royals all-academic team honors student-athletes who have successfully balanced the athletic and academic demands by achieving at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA. Team members receive a certificate and are also recognized on the athletic bulletin board in University Commons.

Below is the list of student-athletes named to the team, including their sport:

Nels Akerson – Cross-Country/Track
Elizabeth Alderfer- Cross-Country/Track
Sonja Anderson – Field Hockey
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Basketball
Kyle Armstrong – Baseball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Ruth Beck – Softball
Bradley Billings – Baseball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Jessica Blanks – Field Hockey
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s soccer/Track
Hannah Chappell-Dick- Cross-Country/Track
Hannah Clemmer- Cross-Country/Track
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patricia Danaher – Cross-Country/Track
Garrett Delph – Men’s Volleyball
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Isaac Driver – Men’s Soccer
Allison Eanes – Cross-Country/Track
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Samantha Ferrier – Field Hockey
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Chantelle Garber – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Patrick Graber – Cross-Country/Track
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Holly Jensen – Women’s Soccer
Phillip Jordan – Baseball
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Janna Kaufman – Women’s Soccer
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Greg Knight – Men’s Volleyball
Lanae Kreider – Cross-Country/Track
Jonathan Leaman – Men’s Golf
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Magdalena Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Mollie Lehman – Field hockey
Rachel Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Valerie Link – Women’s Volleyball
Amber Loftin – Women’s Volleyball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Karla Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Katie Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Phillip Martin – Track
Ian Mast – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Cross-Country/Track
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Kathlyn Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Michelle Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Kaitlyn Morris – Softball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Joel Murray – Men’s Golf
Daniel Nafziger – Cross-Country/Track
Katarina Napfel – Softball
Carlos Orellana – Cross-Country/Track
Jolee Paden – Cross-Country/Track
Jesse Parker – Cross-Country/Track
Cameron Parks – Baseball
Hannah Patterson – Cross-Country/Track
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
Casey Racer – Softball
Jesse Reist – Men’s Volleyball
Jessica Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Stephanie Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Travis Riesen – Men’s Volleyball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Krista Rittenhouse – Cross-Country/Track
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Joseph Spriggs – Men’s Volleyball
Aaron Springer – Cross-Country/Track
Andre Swartzentruber – Men’s Golf
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
Kegan Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Tyler Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey

What is your major?Ěý What do you hope to do?

.Ěý I want to work in a hospital but I also want to do something with missions.

What originally made you choose to come to EMU?

My whole family went here, but they also have a really good nursing program.Ěý That’s what made me choose EMU over other colleges.

What has it been like playing women’s soccer here?

These last two years were rough, but it’s been fun and I still love soccer.Ěý It’s definitely been challenging when you don’t have so many players and you’re part of a rebuilding time.Ěý There are a lot of freshmen this year, so if everyone sticks with it and we bring in more new players, then we’ll have a strong team.

What has it been like being both a student and an athlete while at EMU?

It’s different from high school because I had to learn how to time mange a lot.Ěý I would be busy with soccer, but I would have a lot of homework as well.Ěý I feel that with having the soccer activities I learned to manage my time better so I could get everything done.

Your team’s ability to compete has been affected by a small roster size both of your seasons here.Ěý What has that been like?

I get lots of playing time!Ěý It is hard because if people get injured, if they are sore or have tweaked something, then they can’t always come out.Ěý So we just have to stay healthy and try our best.

What are one or two things you have learned from playing your sport here that you will take with you when you leave?

Attitude is key.Ěý Having a positive attitude about things usually makes the experience more positive.Ěý Time managing was a big one and being able to balance multiple things will help me in the future, especially with nursing.

Each of EMU’s sports was represented on the ODAC All-Academic Team except for men’s volleyball, which competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference.Ěý The CVC will also release an all-academic team later this summer.

The full ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the sixth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the third year in a row.Ěý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only, Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only, and Shenandoah University for field hockey and track & field only), 1,350 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2011-12 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ěý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet atĚý. ĚýDon’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook (clickĚý) and followĚýĚýon Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.Ěý to see the full list of the ODAC All-Academic Team.

Nels Akerson – Cross Country
Elizabeth Alderfer – Cross Country
Laura Beckler – Women’s Soccer
Bradley Billings – Baseball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Rachel Breeden – Softball
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Bethany Crouse – Women’s Soccer
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Allison Eanes – Cross Country
Katie Eckman – Cross Country
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Estrada – Baseball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Lynae Fry – Women’s Volleyball
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Phillip Jordan – Baseball
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Soccer
Justin King – Baseball
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Soccer
Valerie Landis – Field Hockey
Mattie Lehman – Women’s Volleyball, Softball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Jenna Longenecker – Field Hockey
Becca Longenecker – Field Hockey
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Thomas Millary – Cross Country, Track & Field
Michelle Miller – Women’s Soccer
Katarina Napfel – Softball
Peter Nelson – Cross Country
Cara Paden – Women’s Soccer, Track & Field
Jesse Parker – Cross Country, Track & Field
Stephanie Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Andy Richter – Baseball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Bryce Shank – Men’s Soccer
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Amber Shelly – Women’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track & Field
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Raquel Stoltzfus – Women’s Soccer
Scotty Tiosso – Men’s Soccer
Jon Trice – Baseball
Keri Weaver – Cross Country
Kori Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Taylor Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Roberto Wingfield – Cross Country
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Marla Young – Women’s Basketball
Kelsey Zook – Women’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

presented the awards, which are based on academic achievement, athletic contribution, Christian commitment, leadership, campus involvement and service, as the culmination of the evening.

Richter, a major with a 3.64 GPA, was a four-year pitcher for the baseball team and plans to work in a sales or marketing position.Ěý He was consistently on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and EMU’s Dean’s List.Ěý Besides baseball, his campus life was filled with leadership on , EMU Royals Society and the .Ěý He also volunteered at numerous places off campus.

“You are not an athlete just when you’re in season – you’re an athlete year round,” Richter explained in how he balanced his demanding schedule at EMU.Ěý “Baseball provided me with the discipline I needed to enjoy a busy, but incredibly rewarding college career.”

Young, a captain with the women’s basketball team, was also on the Dean’s List and ODAC All-Academic Team, holding a 3.71 GPA with a major in and minor in .Ěý She was a four-year member of Royals Society, helping with prospective students, as well as being a member of the .Ěý Young was also a youth leader at her church and volunteered with a local food bank and the fall back-to-school backpack drive.

“Being a student-athlete has taught me to be mentally and physically strong in seemingly impossible situations,” said Young, who suffered a long-lasting shoulder injury her freshman season.Ěý “God used basketball as the framework that I could grow in my relationship with Him, share my talents with others, and now go on to pursue a career in physical therapy.”

The Athletic Department staff also voted for Athlete of the Year winners.Ěý Mitchell Leap (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) claimed the men’s honor with Bianca Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) taking the women’s.

Leap led the men’s soccer team in scoring for the fourth straight season, netting ten goals, which was also third-best in the conference.Ěý He had five game-winning goals and was named All-ODAC First Team.Ěý Leap graduates fourth in EMU history with 35 career goals and fifth with 80 career points.Ěý Ygarza was a dynamic presence as a power forward for the basketball women, earning a spot on the All-ODAC First Team as a sophomore.Ěý She led EMU with 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and was second in the ODAC in field goal percentage and free throws.

Also at the banquet, Newcomer of the Year Awards were given to Jenessa Derstine (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) in field hockey and Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, FL/Pace) in baseball.

Derstine, an attacker for the Lady Royals, led the team with 29 points this year.Ěý She scored ten goals and assisted on nine others.Ěý Her speed helped ignite EMU’s offense and landed her on the All-ODAC Third Team.Ěý Rodriguez batted .374 with 28 runs and team highs of four homeruns and 41 RBIs.Ěý His RBI total was third in the ODAC during the regular season and the third baseman was named All-ODAC Second Team.

As part of the dinner and banquet, four seniors gave short reflections on their time playing a sport at Eastern Mennonite: Valerie Landis (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) from field hockey, Justin King (Lititz, PA/Warwick) from baseball, Pete Nelson (Harrisonburg, VA/Christopher Dock) from track and cross country, and Brent Yoder (Sarasota, FL/Sarasota Christian) from soccer.

King uniquely talked about playing four years of a collegiate sport even though the experience was not living up to the ideas he had beforehand.

“I have learned a lesson I would have not chosen to learn on my own, because it was painful,” said King.Ěý “Through the ups and downs, the wins and losses, I have had to rely on God as my source of hope and strength when I was weak, discouraged, or overwhelmed.Ěý The Apostle Paul says it best in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, ‘Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.Ěý But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’’”

Landis was the lone senior on the field hockey team this fall and stepped into a leadership role which was not natural to her.Ěý She said that will help her as she leaves college.

“I recognize that I am going to be a new member of a completely different team after graduation,” Landis explained. Ěý“What I have learned over the past four years is that I can’t let my age or lack of experience hinder me from being responsible or taking initiative. ĚýGod has granted each of us the experience of being part of a team and it is my hope that we are able to leave this community as an athlete and a graduate and apply those interpersonal skills learned on either the court or field and apply them in the next stage of life, appropriately and meaningfully.”

Dr. Ronald Stoltzfus, Faculty Athletic Representative, and Dr. Nancy Heisey, Undergraduate Academic Dean, presented the Academic Achievement Awards to each team’s individual with the highest GPA.Ěý Those awards went to: Richter and Brad Billings (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) in baseball, Jennifer Blankenship (Bassett, VA/Bassett) in women’s basketball, Owen Longacre (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) in men’s basketball, Nels Akerson (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) in men’s cross country, Alli Eanes (Harrisonburg, VA/Westmont Hilltop) in women’s cross country and track, Jenna Longenecker (Lancaster, PA/Conestoga Valley) in field hockey, Bryce Shank (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) in men’s soccer, Erica Detweiler (Hickory, NC/Fred T. Foard) in women’s soccer, Aaron Sloan (Ooltewah, TN/McCallie School) in men’s track, and Kendall Garber (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) in men’s volleyball.

The evening included a special mention of , a senior student worker with the athletic events staff, who had passed away from cancer just a week prior to the banquet.

The full All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the fifth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the second year in a row.Ěý With representatives from each of the 14 ODAC institutions (including Catholic for football only), 1,253 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2010-11 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ěý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

The entire list of Royals on the ODAC All-Academic Team is below.

Laura Beckler – Women’s Soccer
Richy Bikko – Men’s Cross Country
Brad Billings – Baseball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Jessica Blanks Ěý– Field Hockey
Brittany Boarman – Women’s Basketball
Rachel Breeden – Softball
Rose Byler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Cimini – Field Hockey
Linda Cimini – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Anne Diller – Women’s Soccer
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Patrick Fox – Men’s Soccer
Lynae Fry – Volleyball
Tessa Gerberich – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Volleyball
Mark Harder – Men’s Cross Country
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Soccer
Justin King – Baseball
Sara Lamneck – Women’s Basketball
Vanessa Landis – Field Hockey
Sarah Leland – Field Hockey
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Bryan Loy – Baseball
Ian Mast – Men’s Soccer
Michelle Miller – Women’s Soccer
Michael Moles – Baseball
Muoka Musau – Men’s Soccer
Daniel Nafziger – Men’s Cross Country
Katarina Napfel – Softball
Becky Nolt – Field Hockey
Jake Norman – Baseball
Erin Reichart – Women’s Soccer
Stephanie Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Andy Richter – Baseball
Hailee Rittle – Field Hockey
Nicole Ropp – Volleyball
Bryce Shank – Men’s Soccer
Molly Smith – Softball
Brittany Snyder – Women’s Basketball
Morgan Spicher – Field Hockey
Doran Stucky – Men’s Soccer
Elisa Troyer – Volleyball
Nathaniel Weaver – Men’s Soccer
Kori Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Taylor Wenger – Women’s Soccer
Brent Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chaska Yoder – Women’s Soccer
Marla Young – Women’s Basketball
Kelsey Zook – Women’s Soccer

Even though her senior year is now completed, Vanessa Landis (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) has picked up another award.

The player was recently voted to the Capital One Academic All-America District 3 First Team.

Landis was the only ODAC player named to the ten-person First Team.

A defender for Eastern Mennonite, Landis started all 73 games in her four-year career and boasts a 3.91 GPA with her biology major.

This fall, she helped anchor a defense which was third in ODAC play with just 2.0 goals per game.

Landis is a member of the ODAC All-Academic Team and was also named All-ODAC First Team as a senior and VaSID All-State Second Team.

The finished the 2010 season with a record of 10-9, losing to eventual champion Lynchburg in the ODAC Tournament.