June 30, 2009

EASTON, Pa. - Eleven Lafayette tennis players collected Patriot League academic accolades on Tuesday afternoon, topping last year's number of honorees. The achievement was split evenly with both five men's student-athletes and five women's student-athletes.

Senior Biochemistry major and Patriot League Women's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year Sarah Sykes achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) for the spring semester. The Marquis and EXCEL scholar was honored this spring with the American Chemical Society Prize, given by the Lehigh Valley Section of the American Chemical Society to the outstanding senior chemistry major for achievement in chemistry.

Sykes was also the recipient of the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry for the greatest achievement in the study of analytical chemistry. Next fall, Sykes will be attending the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine on an academic scholarship. The accomplished senior also spent time this past semester working on an honors thesis examining a protein's role in the possible causes and treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

Fellow sophomore teammate and Marquis Scholar Kristie Cavanagh, a Psychology and English double major, also tallied a 4.0 for the term. Joining her on the list are sophomores Emily DeLuca and Allie Seranko with 3.25 and 3.7 GPAs, respectively. Senior Geology major Nancy Parker completed the women's list with a 3.75 GPA. The women's squad placed third among all Lafayette athletic teams for the spring 2009 semester with a 3.4 team GPA.

Senior Biology major Lee Kojanis led all men's tennis players with a 3.82 spring GPA. Freshman Marquis Scholar and Mathematics-Economics major Andrew Morris posted a solid 3.5 GPA. Rounding out the list were juniors Eric Wiley, James Murphy and Steven Benezra and sophomore Kyle MacLelland.

To be eligible for the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must earn a 3.20 GPA in the spring semester and be awarded a varsity letter in one of the Patriot League's 16 winter or spring championship sports. The criteria for awarding varsity letters are different at each institution.

Name			Yr.		Major				GPA
Kristie Cavanagh	So.		Psychology & English		4.0
Emily DeLuca		So.		Psychology & English		3.25
Nancy Parker		Sr.		Geology			        3.75
Allie Seranko		So.		International Affairs		3.7
Sarah Sykes		Sr.		Biochemistry			4.0
Steven Benezra		Jr.		Mathematics-Economics	        3.35
Lee Kojanis		Sr.		Biology				3.82
Kyle MacLelland	        So.		Government & Law		3.4
Andrew Morris		Fr.		Mathematics-Economics	        3.5
James Murphy		Jr.		Economics & Business		3.5
Eric Wiley		Jr.		International Affairs		3.43