Central Islip, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference announced the 2014-2015 Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, as well as the Scholar-Athletes of the Year for all of its sponsored sports at the ECC Awards Dinner on May 18. Scott Litss (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) of the Dowling College men's cross country team was named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Stephanie Meyer (Seaford, N.Y.) of the Molloy College women's track & field team earned the honor as Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Litts boasts a 3.95 GPA as an English major and has been a member of the ECC Cross Country All-Conference First-Team for four consecutive years. In 2011, he earned the conference's Rookie of the Year honor after a seventh place finish in the ECC Championship. This past fall, he ended his final year as the ECC Runner of the Year after crossing the finish line first at the ECC Championship.
Meyer was a Speech Pathology major who was a standout for the Molloy women's indoor and outdoor track & field teams. In her time at Molloy, she earned multiple All-Conference honors including four at both the indoor and outdoor championships this season. She boasts a 3.9 GPA and finished her career this spring by being named the Most Outstanding Athlete at the ECC Outdoor Championship meet for the second straight year.
Litts and Meyer were also named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year for their respective sports as well.
2014-2015 ECC Scholar Athletes of the Year
Baseball – Adam Schuster (South Setauket, N.Y.), Dowling: Schuster, who posted a .250 batting average with 21 RBI and led the ECC with 42 walks, posted a 3.73 GPA as a Finance major.
Men’s Basketball – Michael Terry (Philadelphia, Pa.), District of Columbia: Terry, a Homeland Security major with a 3.67 GPA, wins the award after finishing second on the Firebirds and ninth in the ECC with 14.4 points per game.
Women’s Basketball – Christine Verrelle (Abington, Pa.), Dowling: Verrelle, a senior guard, finished her career by being named to the All-Conference Second Team after finishing sixth in the ECC with 15.1 points per game . She also excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.63 GPA as a Business major.
Women's Cross Country - Gladys Kimutai (Eldama Ravine, Kenya), NYIT: A First Team All-Conference member all four years after never finishing lower then second place in an ECC Championship meet, Kimutai earns Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors after boasting a 3.70 GPA as a Health Sciences major.
Co-Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Peter Collins (Columbia, Md.), Georgian Court: Collins was a First Team All-Conference selection in the shot put and a Second Team pick in the weight throw at the ECC Indoor Championship. In the classroom, Collins holds a 3.82 GPA as a Business Administration major.
Co-Men’s Indoor Track and Field – Lanier Mason (Hempstead, N.Y.), Molloy: Mason earns a share of the award after a earning a 3.83 GPA as a Management major and also earning All-Conference recognition in the triple jump and 60m hurdles.
Men’s Lacrosse – Ben Taylor (New Westminster, British Columbia), District of Columbia: Taylor, a senior Biology major recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA. On the field, he scored 11 goals and added two assists for 13 points for the Firebirds this season.
Women’s Lacrosse – Emily Hanifan (Hicksville, N.Y.), LIU Post: Hanifan, a senior Business Administration major, earns her second major award of the year. Also an ECC All-Conference First Team member and the ECC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Hanifan has accumulated a 3.67 GPA.
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field – Tyler Bay (Woodhaven, N.Y.), Queens: Bay earns the Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for the second straight year. On the track, Bay was a Second Team All-Conference member in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 35:27.28 In addition to his athletic accomplishments, the senior Media Studies major posted a 3.976 GPA.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – Jerily Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.), District of Columbia: Benjamin, a senior Health Education major boasts a 3.58 GPA. On the track, she won the 400 meter dash and was part of the first place 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter relay teams at the ECC Outdoor Championship.
Men’s Soccer – Eivind Austboe (Stavanger, Norway), LIU Post: Austboe, a two-time ECC Offensive Player of the Year and Academic All-American, led the ECC with 17 goals and 38 points. In the classroom, the Business Administration major maintained a 3.88 GPA.
Co-Women’s Soccer – Alexa De La Torre (Valley Stream, N.Y.), Molloy: De La Torre started in 11 games for the Lions and dished off one assist on the season. Academically, the Special Education major posted a 3.96 GPA.
Co-Women’s Soccer – Clarissa Flores (Haverstraw, N.Y.), St. Thomas Aquinas: Flores earns a share of the Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor after scoring two goals and one assist over 12 starts and also compiling a 3.91 GPA as a Biology major.
Softball – Katelyn Wall (Madison, Conn.), Bridgeport: A Graphic Design major with a 3.86 GPA, Wall led the Purple Knights with seven home runs and 27 RBI in 2015.
Men’s Tennis – Julio Pulido (Caceres, Spain), NYIT: Pulido, a two-time ECC Player of the Year who finished 2015 with a 15-8 singles record, also excelled with his academics, earning a 3.66 GPA as a Finance major.
Women’s Tennis – Julia Vitale (Mystic, Conn.), Roberts Wesleyan: Vitale, who finished with a 14-5 singles record in 2014-15, earns the Scholar-Athlete honor after finishing with a 3.92 GPA as a Psychology major.
Volleyball – Kendall Havener (Alpine, Calif.), Roberts Wesleyan: Havener, an All-Conference selection who helped the Redhawks to their first-ever appearance in the ECC Championship with 283 kills and a .299 hitting percentage, also excelled in the classroom with a 3.84 GPA as a Communication major.
