Penn State Behrend Lions Announce 2008 Top Athletic Honors
Each year Penn State Behrend recognizes top
student-athletes. The following students were honored on Sunday,
May 3 at Behrend's 11th Annual Athletics Picnic.
This year's James Frye Male Athlete of the Year was awarded to basektball senior Kevin Buczynski (Erie/Villa Maria). Buczynski is among the top career scorers in Behrend history, holding the number two spot with 1,689 career points. He also sits in the seventh spot for all-time rebounding with 674 boards. This past season, Buczynski averaged 16.1 points per game with 6.7 rebounds per game. He has been named AMCC Player of Year twice, as well as selected to the AMCC All-Conference team for three of his years at Behrend.
This year's Cheryl Ramsdell-Anderson Female Athlete of the Year winner was women's tennis standout, Allison Mudrey (Hermitage/Hickory). Mudrey went undefeated in the 2007 season, going 15-0 in singles play and 8-0 in doubles. She's posted a 59-7 career singles record, making her the all-time leader in career singles wins. She also leaves Behrend ranked second in all-time doubles victories, with a 49-3 career mark. Allison was named the AMCC Player of the Year from 2004 to 2006, as well as a first-team All-Conference selection for singles and doubles play in her three years of AMCC play.
Also awarded annually is the John Zahniser Scholar Athlete Award, which is given to the male and female student-athletes who have best combined academic and athletic achievements. In addition to contributing in the field of play, the athletes must earn at least a 3.40 in the classroom. This year's male scholar-athlete award was given to Dustin Fairchild (Corry/Corry). In the program's two years of inclusion in the AMCC Conference, Fairchild has been named the AMCC Player of the Year each of those years. He has been a four-year prominent performer for the blue and white, holding numerous team and pool records at Behrend. The female scholar-athlete award was presented to Lisa Brozewicz (Wattsburg/Seneca). Brozewicz was a two-year participant on the women's cross country team as well as the track and field squad.
This year's Herb Lauffer Leadership/Scholarship Award winners given to senior basketball forward Meagan Bielanin (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep) and senior baseball player Paul Henry (Mamont/Kiski Area). These athletes were selected because they best exemplified the qualities of former Behrend coach and athletic director Herb Lauffer: to be a leader, an excellent student, and a sincere, genuine person who strives to make everyone around them better.
Bielanin also received The Faculty Athletic Council Service Award. This award is given annually to the student-athlete who is most dedicated to service at Penn State Behrend.