2009 MASCAC Sportsmanship Team
Five Wilkes University student-athletes were honored by the league office as they were named to the MASCAC Sportsmanship Team in their respective sport. The teams include a player from each school who has demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship through their actions on and off the field during the season.
Women’s tennis player Alison McDonald, women’s lacrosse player Cassie Cronin, baseball player Geoff Miller, men’s tennis player Jeremy Nolt and golfer Jamie Montville were picked by their respective coaches to join the sportsmanship teams.
McDonald, a senior from Duncannon, Pa., was a big reason for the Lady Colonels success this season. McDonald finished her final campaign with a 12-1 record in singles as well as a 10-4 doubles mark and helped Wilkes to a third-straight Freedom Conference title. The Lady Colonels finished the 2008-09 season with a 17-1 record and made their third-straight appearance in the NCAA National Tournament. Not only was she successful on the court, she was named the 2009 MASCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year in women’s tennis.
Cronin made an impact as well in women’s lacrosse as she was the primary goal keeper in her first season of collegiate lacrosse. She started nine and appeared in all 17 games for the Lady Colonels where she picked up 111 saves in 609 minutes of action. She finished her collegiate debut with a 5-5 record helping the Lady Colonels to their best finish in school history.
Miller was a mainstay at second base for the Colonel baseball team where he started 36 of the team’s 41 games this season. He was the third leading hitter on the team with a .359 batting average and was second on the team in triples with three. He was also solid defensively as he finished with a .983 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in 187 chances. Miller helped the team to one of its best seasons in school history with a 29-12 record including a No. 1 seed in the ECAC South Championship.
Nolt, playing his first season of collegiate tennis, was impressive as he played the No. 1 position nearly the entire season. He finished his initial campaign with a 14-4 record in singles play as well as a 15-2 doubles mark. He helped lead the Colonels to their second-straight Freedom Conference title as well as their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA National Tournament.
Montville was a success on the golf course as he was one of the top finishers for Wilkes in each of the tournaments it played in. He finished in a tie for 22nd at the Freedom Conference Championship with a two-round total of 170, while helping the team to a tie for first at Misericordia when he shot an 87. He placed second overall with a three-over 73 at Susquehanna to lead the Colonels to a third place finish.