Moon Township, Pa. – Senior
Lacee Collins of the
Robert Morris University softball was named the 2018-19 Northeast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Tuesday.
Sponsored by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives, the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is bestowed annually upon the male and female student-athlete who has exhausted their eligibility, graduated and posted the highest cumulative GPA in the conference at the conclusion of the academic year.
Collins compiled a perfect 4.00 GPA in earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology during her four years at RMU. Collins was
one of two female student-athlete for the Colonials to be honored with the award, as senior
Samantha Lackner, who also posted a perfect 4.00 GPA while completing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, also earned the award.
Collins and Lackner were two of four female student-athletes from the NEC honored with the award in 2018-19, joining Dana DiRenzo of the St. Francis Brooklyn women's basketball team and Elise Dumouchelle of the Saint Francis U volleyball program.
RELATED: Seven Students Post 4.00 GPAs En Route to NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honors
Seniors Shane Vyskocil of the Bryant swimming & diving team, Frank Cerillo from Long Island baseball and Nicholas Nemergut of the St. Francis Brooklyn men's golf program were bestowed the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year on the male side, with each also graduating with perfect 4.00 GPA's.
Collins and Lackner are the fifth and sixth student-athletes, respectively, to earn the award from Robert Morris since it debuted in 2007. Former volleyball standouts Lisa Jaszka (2004-07) and Una Japundza (2009-13) each claimed the honor, while Tara Maxwell (2005-09) of the track & field program also collected the honor.
Prior to the awards for Collins and Lackner, former tennis player Travis Denny (2010-14) was the last Robert Morris student-athlete to garner the award, as he was named the 2014 NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is also RMU's only male honoree.
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