Leaman was one of three students selected as Outstanding Graduate Students in the accounting program. Harnish was awarded the Federation of Schools of Accounting (FSA) Outstanding Masters Student award, an annual honor conferred at FSA full-membership schools to fifth-year students in master’s degree programs.

Leaman plans to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in July and begin working at Brown Edwards & Company, a Harrisonburg public accounting firm, as a CPA by the start of August.

Harnish too will be starting a job this summer. In July he moves to Baltimore, Maryland, where he will begin working at the Baltimore office of McGladrey as a tax associate. Harnish was one of 87 national FSA award recipients, according to the FSA website’s 2014 list of recipients, but each FSA member school establishes its own award criteria, making each award a unique honor. This year’s JMU FSA award recipient was selected for his promise as a future PhD-holder and possible faculty member.

In response to the award and his future plans for his education, Harnish said he expects to pursue a doctorate five to seven years from now, after working in public practice.

The JMU College of Business accounting program faculty selected the four accounting students for recognition at this spring’s graduation. Leaman, Harnish and the other two students received their awards in a pre-graduation ceremony on May 8.

Leaman and Harnish both graduated from JMU this past month with master’s of science degrees in accounting – Leaman with a concentration in taxation. Harnish graduated with a dual degree in and economics while Leaman was an accounting major and economics minor. By taking summer classes and full course loads for two semesters, they were able to complete the master’s degree program at JMU in just one year.

All of EMU’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.  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 seventh consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fourth year in a row.  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), 1,459 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2012-13 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.  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 named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.

Nels Akerson – Cross Country, Track & Field
Elizabeth Alderfer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Sonja Anderson – Field Hockey
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Ruthie Beck – Softball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Jessica Blanks – Field Hockey
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Clemmer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Alli Eanes – Cross Country, Track & Field
Katie Eckman – Cross Country
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Estrada – Baseball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Chantelle Garber – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Patrick Graber – Cross Country, Track & Field
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
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Janna Kaufman – Women’s Soccer
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Lanae Kreider – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jonathan Leaman – Men’s Golf
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mattie Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Rachel Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Karla Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Katie Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Phillip Martin – Track & Field
Ian Mast – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Cross Country, Track & Field
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Thomas Millary – Cross Country
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Michelle Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Kaitlyn Morris – Softball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Joel Murray – Men’s Golf
Dan Nafziger – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jolee Paden – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jesse Parker – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Patterson – Track & Field
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Krista Rittenhouse – Cross Country, Track & Field
Adriana Santiago – Field Hockey
Meghan Schaefer – Cross Country
Juni Schirch – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track & Field
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Aaron Springer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Andre Swartzentruber – Men’s Golf
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Kegan Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Tyler Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey

Those honored from Eastern Mennonite were:

(Harrisonburg, Va./Westmont Hilltop), Sr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Elementary Education, 3.96 GPA.  Eanes peaked as a senior, setting all of her career best times and earning All-ODAC Second Team in cross country.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Back, Biology/Philosophy & Theology, 3.90 GPA.  Eshleman completed a stellar career in which he was a four-year starter as a center back.  He also scored his first goal this year.  He was given the EMU President’s Award this spring and also earned ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year, NSCAA Scholar All-Region, CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, VaSID All-State First Team, All-ODAC First Team.  This is Eshleman’s third year on the Academic All-State Team.

(Broadway, Va./Broadway), Sr., Men’s Golf, Business Administration & Accounting, 3.95 GPA.  Leaman helped launch EMU’s golf program this year, and finished second on the team with an 83.3 round average.

(Telford, Pa./Christopher Dock), Sr., Men’s Basketball – Forward, History/Social Science (Secondary Education Licensure), 3.91 GPA.  Longacre earned a repeat spot on the Academic All-State Team, and averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his second season as a starter for the Runnin Royals.

(Willow Street, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Midfielder, Health & Physical Education, 4.0 GPA.  Mast was a vital part of the midfield for the Royals, starting 17 games and playing in all 20.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg), Sr., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology/Psychology, 3.97 GPA.  Nafziger had another banner year, claiming All-ODAC First Team in cross country and setting a program record on Peak View’s 8k course at 26:55.07.  He also set four new EMU records during the indoor track season: 1000m (2:35.32), mile (4:26.77), 3000m (8:55.45), and distance medley relay (10:37.15).

To earn VaSID Academic All-State honors, a student-athlete must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average and be at least a sophomore.  Each school in the state is allowed six nominees.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and community college levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.

The ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø (EMU) Royals shot a 329 on day one, leading four other teams including two ODAC schools: Virginia Wesleyan and Shenandoah.  Their 346 on the final day of the event gave them a total of 675 and cost them their spot.

The EMU men, who were one of eight ODAC teams at the tournament, will get a chance to redeem themselves at the ODAC Championships, which are April 21-23 in Cape Charles, Va.

(Faber, Va./Nelson County) had a low round of 80 on Saturday and was EMU’s top finisher, carding a 167 (+25).  He was two strokes ahead of teammate (Keezletown, Va./Spotswood) at 169 (+27).  (Hesston, Ks./Hesston) had a great Saturday and came in at 170 (+28).

(Millersburg, Ohio/Hiland) carded a 175 (+33) for the weekend, while (Broadway, Va./Broadway) overcame a tough first day to finish at 177 (+35).

Bluefield State won the tournament with a team score of 606, one ahead of ODAC school Hampden-Sydney at 607.  The Tigers’ Rick O’Connell won the individual title with a score of 146 (+4).

On day one, the men’s four scorers were all within three strokes of each other as they carded a 332 as a team.  Although the order of the top four changed on day two, the quartet were again all within three strokes of each other and combined for a 335.

Seniors (Broadway, VA/Broadway) and (Keezletown, VA/Spotswood) were equally consistent, as each finished day one with an 82 to be followed with an 84 on Sunday.  They tied for 45th with a two-day score of 166.

(Hesston, KS/Hesston) had an 85 on day one but notched EMU’s low score on his second effort with an 82.  His total of 167 was tied for 49th.  (Millersburg, OH/Hiland) was one stroke back, finishing with a 168 (83 and 85).

(Buckingham, VA/Buckingham County) had scores of 93 and 115 to finish 59th.

Host Averett won the tourney by 13 strokes over second-place Bridgewater with a team score of 585.  Virginia Wesleyan’s John Dozier III claimed the individual crown by seven strokes.  His total of 137 was three under par.

The VSGA is the final event of the fall planned for the Royals.  The men will compete in a full slate of tournaments in the spring semester in preparation for the ODAC Championships in April.