Hawks Excel In Classroom

NEW PALTZ — SUNY New Paltz athletes have long been known for their abilities on the playing field, but many are equally successful in the classroom.

Four New Paltz athletes – Dawson Gerhardt, Jessica Nadolny, Erica Petersen and Robert Serge – achieved perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the fall 1999 semester to headline another solid academic performance, truly putting the student in student-athlete.

In all, 94 New Paltz student-athletes earned recognition on the All-New Paltz Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (minimum 3.0 GPA), with 46 achieving Dean’s List status (minimum 3.3 GPA), 15 earning All-SUNYAC status (minimum 3.3 GPA for fall sports only), and seven showing their academic consistency by their selection to the SUNYAC Commissioner’s List (cumulative 3.3 GPA for three consecutive semesters).

Nadolny, a senior, managed to balance her many commitments, which include starting roles on both the New Paltz women’s soccer and lacrosse teams, heavy involvement as a past-President of the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and ongoing work as a student athletic trainer.

This fall, she helped guide the soccer team to its most wins ever (11), its first SUNYAC Tournament berth in 11 years, and its first-ever ECAC Tournament appearance. In addition, she somehow still finds time to student teach locally in the Saugerties School District, and will graduate on time with a degree in Elementary Education (Biology) in May. She is a 1996 Washingtonville High graduate.

Serge, a freshman defender on the men’s soccer team who will also play baseball this spring, is also an active member of the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Among other projects, he recently led his fellow student-athletes in a fund-raising drive to benefit Ulster County Literacy, which resulted in the most successful campaign for them in many years.

Serge also participated in the men’s soccer team’s annual fall appearance at Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, which earned the Hawks their second-straight award for having the most volunteers in a group (22). The men’s soccer team also volunteered their time this season as mentors to youngsters on the Under-10 boys soccer club team in nearby Croton-on-Hudson. He is a 1999 graduate of Valley Stream South High.

Gerhardt and Petersen both participate on the Hawk cross country and track and field teams and compete in a wide variety of events, ranging from the 5000 meters to the 4 x 400 relay.

The duo helped the women’s track and field team earn the fall 1999 New Paltz Cup, which recognizes the top male and female athletic team at the university each semester. Both assisted with their team’s Thanksgiving Food Drive, and Petersen also serves as secretary for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

While Gerhardt, a freshman from Ambler, Pennsylvania (Wissahickon High ’99), has not yet chosen a major, Petersen is a senior Art Education major, and resides in nearby Hyde Park (Roosevelt ’96).

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Fall 1999 Student-Athlete Academic Honorees:

Paul Aboulafia* (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Ricky Abramson (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Sue Ahlert (Women’s Lacrosse), Francis Amey* (Men’s Cross Country), Kathryn Bart*^ (Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer), John Behrle (Baseball), Jennifer Benter* (Softball), Kathryn Brodfuehrer* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Alex Bruce~ (Men’s Soccer), Bob Bubel* (Men’s Swimming and Diving), John Buonamano (Baseball), Melissa Butterweich*^ (Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer), Denise Cariola (Women’s Tennis), Jon Cherry (Men’s Soccer), Dionne Chin (Women’s Basketball, Softball), Mario Christian (Men’s Basketball), Brian Clarke (Baseball), Melanie Constantine (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Jessica Craine* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Corey Crawford (Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Track and Field), Ray Cuadrado (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Lauren Dellolio*^ (Women’s Volleyball), Steve Dermentzis (Baseball), Michael Dolce*^~ (Men’s Cross Country), Alex Dorman*^ (Women’s Soccer), Dave Dorn* (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Andrea Drayss (Women’s Track and Field, Women’s Volleyball), Scarlet Duba* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Lisa Elovsky* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Khara Elmendorf* (Softball), John Fairbairn* (Baseball), Diane Figueroa (Softball), Christine Foster (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Diego Garcia* (Baseball), Jill Gaudet (Women’s Tennis), Dawson Gerhardt*^ (Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track and Field), Diane Gilberti (Women’s Lacrosse), Adele Goldberg* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Adrian Grasso* (Women’s Lacrosse), Jennifer Gregory (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Gessie Groat (Field Hockey), Joe Hackert (Baseball), Allison Hand* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Chris Heyer (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Kristen Horodiski (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Etta Horowitz* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Siobhan Howe*^ (Women’s Tennis), Donna Jirkovsky (Women’s Track and Field), Todd Joseph* (Men’s Volleyball), Justin Jourden* (Men’s Tennis), Amanda Katz (Women’s Volleyball), Chris Knoblauch (Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis), Christina Korba* (Field Hockey), Erick Lajara (Men’s Tennis), Erin Lalor (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Andrew Lehr (Men’s Tennis), Kirstin Lemme* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Michelle Lever (Softball), Michael Lincoln (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Kathryn MacCrate (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Tricia Martin-Lopez* (Women’s Track and Field), David Meyer (Men’s Tennis), Kate Mochamer* (Women’s Lacrosse), Ashley Momtahen (Women’s Tennis), Jessica Nadolny*^~ (Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer), Kyle Nielsen (Men’s Soccer), Jodi Novatka* (Field Hockey), Patricia O’Connell (Women’s Lacrosse), Nikhil Pandya* (Men’s Tennis), Erica Petersen*^~ (Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track and Field), Jody Richards* (Field Hockey), Jaason Rosario* (Men’s Tennis), Eric Rosen (Baseball), Matt Roy* (Men’s Volleyball), Sergio Santana (Baseball), Greg Sautner (Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Track and Field), Tanya Saverick* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Allison Schwille (Women’s Tennis), Bob Serge*^ (Baseball, Men’s Soccer), Erica Siegel* (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Angela Signor (Softball), Barbara Slovak*^~ (Women’s Tennis), Miguel Soriano (Men’s Volleyball), Crista Szymanski*^~ (Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track and Field), Otto Tannure (Men’s Volleyball), Guido Tiberia (Men’s Soccer), Vincenzo Tiberia*^ (Men’s Soccer), Alison Tracy*^ (Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track and Field), Debralyn Trivisonno (Women’s Basketball), Elmer Velasquez (Men’s Soccer), Sara Walrath* (Field Hockey), Amy Weber* (Field Hockey), Silver Williams (Women’s Basketball), Joe Winkler (Baseball), Cheryl Yanek*^~ (Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track and Field).

*denotes Dean’s List status (minimum 3.3 GPA)

^denotes All-SUNYAC Academic team (minimum 3.3 GPA for fall sports only)

~denotes SUNYAC Commissioner’s List status (cumulative 3.3 GPA for three straight semesters for fall sports only)