The College of Staten Island Office of Intercollegiate Athletics together with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is awarding its first ever Athletic Director Honor Roll citations in 2011, recognizing a staggering 78 student-athletes who have achieved a 3.0 grade point average or better during the fall 2010 semester. Of the 78 total recipients, 34 achieved a 3.5 or higher, with six student-athletes running a perfect 4.0 GPA. The students will be honored in a special Student-Athlete Day ceremony on April 6 at the College.
“We brought this up for discussion with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and everyone thought it was a well deserved recognition for a semester’s academic accomplishments,” said Vernon Mummert, Athletic Director. “I’m happy to see it come to fruition.”
The first of its kind citation from CSI, Mummert feels the noting is worthy of merit, given the impeccable leadership roles student-athletes play on campus, their dedication to the sport, and recognizing the balance combined with getting a top-flight education at CSI.
“CSI is a commuter campus and our student-athletes many times have to balance part-time and full-time jobs with full academic class loads, varsity team commitments, and family responsibilities at home,” Mummert said. “The institutional recognition shows these young men and women that we are taking notice, and it will hopefully inspire them to greater heights of academic achievement and athletic performance.”
The 78 total athletes are a cross section of CSI’s 13 intercollegiate sports and cheerleading program. CSI boasts 203 total student-athletes, meaning that 38% of the student-athlete body is being honored, a staggering number. Of the 78 honored, 67 are carrying GPA’s over a 3.0 (33%), while a select 25 have an overall GPA of over a 3.5 GPA.
“It speaks volumes about the balance exhibited by our athletes and the tremendous academic support they receive on campus,” Mummert said.
The College of Staten Island Office of Intercollegiate Athletics does its part in aiding the cause. Working primarily through Katie Arcuri, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services, student-athletes are awarded priority registration, which allows them to manage their class schedule with their rigorous practice, personal workout, and intercollegiate schedule routines, and are offered academic advisement within Athletics offices to guide their academic path. Along the way, the office solicits mid-semester checks on student-athletes and offer counseling and peer tutor opportunities for at-risk students.
“The student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom as the number of honor roll students grow each semester,” said Arcuri. “It is a deserving achievement for them to be honored each semester with the citation.”
Men’s Swimming sees the most honorees on the Honor Roll list, boating 11 student-athletes to the ledger. Men’s Baseball follows with 9 honorees, followed by seven each from Cheerleading and Women’s Soccer. For the first time last year, CSI awarded a Team GPA Award given at its annual awards banquet, won by Women’s Swimming in 2010 with a 3.21 collective GPA.
Herschel Jenkins (Basketball), Vasiliki Stergioula (Swimming/Volleyball), Josetta Adams (Swimming), Ilona Stoyko (Swimming/Tennis), Lisa LaManna (Volleyball/Cross-Country), and Raechel Strobel (Softball), all scored a perfect 4.0 GPA in the fall. Strobel, an entering senior with the softball squad and three-time all-star, boasts a remarkable 3.892 cumulative GPA.
The full lot of 78 honorees will be honored in a Student-Athlete Day ceremony on April 6, at 2:30pm, at CSI’s Sports & Recreation Center. Sponsored by the National Consortium for Academics in Sports (NCAS), National Student-Athlete Day is celebrated nation-wide, commending scholastic achievement by student-athletes. The student-athletes will be awarded commemorative certificates during the ceremony, which will feature words from CSI President Dr. Tomas Morales and Vice-President for Student-Affairs Dr. Ramona Brown.