June 22, 2009

EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette women's basketball team placed eight student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll during a season in which they advanced to the Patriot League championship game for the first time in 12 years.

The eight players were the most since the 2000-01 campaign. The Leopards also boasted a 3.26 team grade-point average (GPA), their highest since the Academic Resource Center began tracking in 1998. That mark also placed them seventh among Lafayette's 23 varsity teams and saw the squad move up eight spots from 2007-08.

Senior English major Emily Garner and junior Art and Economics and Business major Amanda Smith led the team with perfect 4.0 marks in the spring semester. Lafayette was one of only two Patriot League teams to have at least two players with 4.0 GPAs.

Garner joined classmates Laura Cullen, Jessica Spicer and Cristin Zavocki on the list. Smith was one of a trio of juniors to earn honor roll status, joining Danielle Jenkins and Amanda Leone. Alexandra Serowoky was the lone freshman named to the honor roll.

Jenkins and Smith are both EXCEL scholars. Jenkins has remained on campus this summer to continue her EXCEL research with the Psychology department.

Lafayette, under the direction of head coach Tammy Smith, became the first No. 7 seed in the history of the Patriot League Tournament to advance to the championship game. Earlier in the season, the Leopards also earned their first-ever invitation to the Preseason WNIT.

Name	               Yr. 	   Major 	                  GPA
Laura Cullen	       Sr.	   Psychology	                  3.52
Emily Garner	       Sr.	   English	                  4.0
Danielle Jenkins   Jr.	   Psychology	                  3.22
Amanda Leone	      Jr.	   Government & Law	          3.6
Alexandra Serowoky Fr.	   Undeclared	                  3.27
Amanda Smith	       Jr.	   Economics & Business and Art   4.0
Jessica Spicer     Sr.	   Economics & Business	          3.66
Cristin Zavocki    Sr.	   Psychology	                  3.5