Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Two Kutztown University physics majors, Anna Faretty and Gerald Curran, presented original research at the 50th annual meeting of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Dr. Kunal K. Das as well as a URC grant for Faretty. Based on this work, they are currently writing a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Six Kutztown University geology students presented research at the Geological Society of America meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Sept. 22-25. Three research projects were a part of Dr. Sarah Tindall's Roadmaps in GeoScience (RiGS) program, which she funds through a National Science Foundation grant. Dr. Edward Simpson supervised three additional research projects that focused on different aspects of paleontological discoveries made during field expeditions with his students to a major dinosaur quarry in Utah. Students: Claire Santa, Lara Ilsemann, Robert Edris, Mark Domin, David Muller and Eric Dinter, also toured geological sites in Arizona, including Red Rocks of Sedona, Grand Canyon, S P volcanic crater, Meteor Crater (group photo at rim of 50,000-year-old, milewide asteroid impact crater), and Petrified Forest National Park.

Kutztown University will have 17 student-athletes representing its women's bowling team for the 2019-2020 season. KU was ranked seventh in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Division II/III Preseason Poll, which was recently released by the organization. The Golden Bears head into their new season under the direction of first-year head coach Angela Reynolds, who joined the team in August. Kutztown went 74-57 last season with eight wins over teams in the NTCA National Top 25, including four in the top 10. The Maroon and Gold reached the sixth round of the East Coast Conference Championship in March. KU opens the 2019-20 season this coming Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13, with the Bud Whitman Memorial at Berks Lanes in Sinking Spring.

Kutztown University has announced its student members of the 2019 Homecoming Court. Winners will be announced at halftime of KU's homecoming football game, 2:05 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at Andre Reed Stadium. Finalists for Homecoming Queen are Karlie Doyle, Ashley Lipari, Natalie Perkowski, Emily Rudderow, Alyssa Sheldon, Victoria Tennyson and Xiomara Toledo. Finalists for Homecoming King are Cameron Crisologo, Noah Hartley, Braden Hudak, Jacob Khalife, Robert McGowan, Matthew Miller and Patrick Moyer.

The Kutztown University softball team had eight student-athletes recognized as 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America scholar-athletes. The eight student-athletes for the Golden Bears are second-most among Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division teams. The scholar-athletes include Erin Fortney, Tamara Jennings, Ava Bottiglia, Alyssa Donato, Alyssa Oakley, Kay Solderitch, Paola Texidor and Zoe Texidor. Kutztown as a team held a 3.36 GPA overall. More than 8,000 student-athletes (8,161), a first in NFCA history, were named 2019 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes, the Association announced. The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories. NCAA Division III led the way with 1,928 student-athletes earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2018-19. NCAA Division I and Division II followed with 1,769 and 1,306 honorees. High School weighted and High School unweighted earned 1,225 and 793 distinctions. NAIA and two-year programs each amassed 570 recipients.

Kutztown University will have 16 student-athletes representing its men's and women's tennis teams for the 2019-2020 season. The Golden Bears are set to play at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Individual Championships Oct. 5-7, in Bloomsburg, Pa.

Kutztown University is set to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Presented by Distinguished Concerts in International New York (DCINY), the Kutztown Chamber Players will perform Mediterranean-inspired music by Greek composer Dinos Constantinides at 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30. Constantinides' work has been performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. KU will perform his work alongside members from the Louisiana State University School of Music. Kutztown University's own Chamber Players are conducted by KU orchestra director Dr. Peter Isaacson. Performing faculty members Dr. Maria Asteriadou and Kurt Nikkanen have given their students firsthand, real-world experience in preparing for this event. Alongside an array of international artists, Kutztown musicians shine in their involvement; their participation is a testament to the talent, skill and dedication at Kutztown University. "I hope this concert helps to raise awareness in musical circles that KU has an excellent music department where students are given outstanding musical training and exceptional experiences," Isaacson said. "I'm very excited to have the opportunity to perform in such an esteemed venue." The concert provides an opportunity to enrich students with real world experience. "This performance will give our students positive exposure to the professional world of performing - away from the academic setting at KU," Issacson said. "From this project, they have already grown from working with Professor Nikkanen and Professor Asteriadou. They will gain further insights from hearing other performers at this concert and the ways in which they approach the music of Constantinides."

The Kutztown University Rock Ensembles have announced their audition results for their Rock Ensemble I, II and III groups for the 2019-2020 year. For the past two years, Rock Ensemble I has been named by DownBeat Magazine as one of the premiere undergraduate ensembles of its kind. Under the direction of professor Kevin Kjos, KU Rock Ensembles respect the tradition of American rock and soul music while looking to the future to give the students who play and sing in these groups an all-encompassing view of the American musical style that took over the world. Students perform music from the rock genre and all its subcategories: indie, funk, soul, rhythm and blues, folk, country and more. During the past year, the ensembles have performed music as far ranging in style as Belinda Carlisle, Thank You, Scientist, The Main Squeeze, Queen, The Beatles, Tower of Power, Living Color and more. Through participation in the Rock Ensembles, student musicians get a taste of the real world and the music they will be asked to play and create in the commercial marketplace. With the guidance of their professors, students learn to write their own arrangements for a band with full rhythm sections, horns and multiple vocalists, prepare their own parts based on recordings and charts and record and perform at a professional level. Rock Ensemble I records at least twice an academic year and produces an annual CD (or CDs). The recordings are recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by professional sound engineers Steve Jankowski and Johannes Lang and KU students. Full roster with instruments and sections can be found here. For more information, visit the KU music ensembles website.

Kutztown University and the Kutztown University Foundation have named 36 students as Presidential Ambassadors for the 2019-2020 school year. Founded in 1997, the Presidential Ambassadors is a Kutztown University student organization that works directly with the President's Office and the Kutztown University Foundation and Alumni Relations. The mission of the group is to support events that connect current students with alumni, faculty, staff and university friends, to act as ambassadors of the university and to create new traditions which enhance KU Pride. The Presidential Ambassadors' major fundraiser is the Tuition Sweepstakes. The winner of the sweepstakes is awarded one semester of in-state tuition to Kutztown University. Proceeds from the sweepstakes benefit ambassador programs and Kutztown University, including support of Dinner with Golden Bears, Grin and Bear It, Professional Headshots for KU Juniors and Senior, Love a Donor Week, Ladies Tea Scholarship, General Fund Scholarship, Play for Kay, Wounded Warrior 5k Race, campus and community wide events as well as many other events geared towards philanthropic efforts. The organization strives to build philanthropy and stewardship with the Kutztown University community. Learn more at www.kuf.org/alumni/presidential-ambassadors. 6.2.5

Kutztown University will have 13 student-athletes representing its women's swimming program for the 2019-2020 season. Read the full season preview online. Last season was one of the most successful seasons for the Kutztown University women's swimming team in the last decade. KU is hoping to see similar results this year as it begins competition for the 2019-20 campaign with a home meet today, Thursday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m. at Keystone Pool against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) foe Shippensburg. The Golden Bears finished PSACs with 283.5 points and a 10th-place finish, their highest since placing ninth in 2012. The Maroon and Gold also had a strong dual season with an 8-2 record for the program's highest win total since 2010-11 when they went 9-1. "Last year was a pleasant surprise," said head coach Tim Flannery, entering his 24th season at the helm. "I wasn't expecting to go 8-2 [in duals] and beat LIU Post, but we did. It was good from the standpoint that we had a lot of freshmen that came along and continued to get better as the season went on. They moved into bigger roles and will be some of our leaders this year." Kutztown has its earliest meet in over a decade today, Thursday, Sept. 19, when it hosts Shippensburg. But the Golden Bears will be prepared and there are positives to take out of the early start. "This is actually a good thing for us," Flannery said. "It helps us to be able to get into the water and practice earlier. It will give me a better look at the team altogether and give us time to put together our lineup." Kutztown will have three straight meets on the road following Shippensburg, and won't return to Keystone Pool until Saturday, Nov. 9, when it will have back-to-back home meets on consecutive weekends. Senior day is set for Saturday, Jan. 25, at home against Lock Haven.

The Kutztown University Jazz Ensembles have announced their audition results for their Jazz Ensemble I and II groups for the 2019-2020 year. Under the direction of professor Kevin Kjos, KU Jazz Ensembles have had the opportunity to perform with and receive clinics from many of the greats in jazz performance and education including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, Randy Brecker, Steve Wilson, John Riley, Tim Hagans, Scott Wendholt, Bob Mintzer, Michael Philip Mossman, Brent Wallarab, Scott Lee, Allison Miller, Mike Davis, Fred Sturm, Bob Baca, Tom Walsh, Steve Houghton, Ray Drummond, Bruce Barth, Cyrus Chestnut, Jeff Hirschfield, Bill Reichenbach and many others. The Jazz Ensembles will rehearse throughout the fall semester leading up to their fall performances. Jazz II is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 21, Schaeffer Auditorium. Jazz I is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, Schaeffer Auditorium. Listen to their recordings on Soundcloud to hear some tracks from the Kutztown Jazz Ensembles! Full roster with instruments and sections can be found here. For more information, visit the KU music ensembles website.

The Kutztown University Marching Unit (KUMU), an energetic part of the campus community, provides music, marching and entertainment for all KU Golden Bears football games, select away games, marching band festivals/competitions, professional sporting events, parades and campus spirit building activities. Under the direction of professor Daniel Neuenschwander, KUMU has announced its 2019 roster. Full roster with instruments and section can be found here.

Kutztown University will have 19 student-athletes representing its women's volleyball program for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview online Bolstered by the return of its leading offensive and defensive pieces, and its starting setter, the Kutztown University women's volleyball team is optimistic about taking steps forward to compete atop its new division in 2019. A shift to the Central Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has the Golden Bears poised to take aim at favorite East Stroudsburg and head coach John Gump, now in his 23rd season at KU, is intrigued by the familiar faces in place to try and make it happen. With no seniors and seasoned underclassmen returning, Gump recognizes the upside of that experience. "A majority of our returnees played in meaningful matches last year and that should help a lot," said Gump. "When you're coming in, we can talk all we want about what to expect, but until you experience the speed, size and athleticism at this level it's a bit of an unknown. Nothing can replicate that." Kutztown began its season at Shippensburg University Sept. 6-7, and continues this weekend, Sept. 13-14, hosting the Kutztown Classic tournament.

Kutztown University has announced 87 student-athletes will represent its football team for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview here. Head coach Jim Clements, who enters his sixth season on the KU sideline having produced winning seasons in each of his previous five campaigns, knows that the 2019 team will need to forge its own identity, but hopes the experience of playing in last year's national tournament fuels the current roster's hunger to get back there. "Camp went well for us, but the biggest thing was to try and stay as healthy as we could," said Clements. "A lot of new faces were working hard. We have great depth at certain spots on the field and wish we had more at others, but overall the coaching staff took a lot of positives away from preseason." Kutztown committed just 13 turnovers a season ago, finishing plus-eight on the season. The Golden Bears were also one of the nation's top teams in red zone efficiency. If this year's team can limit self-inflicted mistakes the same way last year's did, Clements likes KU's chances to have another successful season. KU opened its season Saturday, Sept. 7, with a 54-16 win over Assumption College. Kutztown will be put to the test Saturday, Sept. 14, when it hits the road for the first time in 2019. The Golden Bears take on Cal U at 1 p.m.

Kutztown University has announced eight student-athletes will represent its women's golf team for the 2019-2020 season. The Golden Bears opened their season last weekend at the Evann Parker Memorial in North East, Pa., and continue Sept. 14-15 at the Le Moyne Invitational in East Syracuse, N.Y.

Kutztown University has announced 11 student-athletes will represent its men's cross country team for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview here. The Kutztown University men's cross country team is coming off the heels of one of its most successful seasons in the last two decades in 2018, and it looks to keep the success and momentum of the program going into 2019. The Golden Bears matched their best result at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships since 2002 with a fourth-place team finish last fall. They are once again expected to be near the top of the conference this season. Kutztown was voted fifth by the league's coaches in the 2019 PSAC Preseason Poll. Head coach Ray Hoffman, entering his 22nd year at the helm, road the legs primarily of his successful senior class last year, as four of the seven in the lineup at PSACs were seniors. Even though it will be tough to not be able to pencil them into the lineup this year, Hoffman knows he has the returning talent ready to step up and keep the ball rolling. "We lost five of our top seven runners from last year," said Hoffman. "That leaves a lot of open holes for us. The good thing is we had some younger guys that got a lot of experience last year that are back this year. I still feel that we are in a good position to continue that high standard that we've set." Kutztown's 2019 season begins with a meet at Franklin & Marshall tonight, Thursday, at 6 p.m.

Kutztown University has announced 16 student-athletes will represent its women's cross country team for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview here. The Kutztown University women's cross country team watched a decorated senior class run for the last time in Maroon and Gold after Fall 2018. But there is a strong group of experienced and talented returners that expect to keep the program near the top of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and Atlantic Region. "We had a great group of seniors last year that contributed from the first time they stepped on campus," said head coach Ray Hoffman, in his 22nd year in charge. "We couldn't have asked for more out of them. They set us up well for the future and helped guide the younger runners on how to be successful. We have a lot of holes to fill in the lineup, but I thought last year we had a lot of depth so the girls that are back I know we can rely on." Kutztown was picked fifth in the PSAC preseason poll. "I think that this group is competitive and can put us right into the top-four or top-five of the PSAC," Hoffman said. "They were behind some great leaders last year in those seniors, so now I'm excited to see who is going to step up and take on a leadership role. It's their time now to shine." Kutztown kicks off the year a week later than usual. The Golden Bears will be running at the Franklin & Marshall 5k Invitational on Thursday, Sept. 5, with a 6 p.m. start. Kutztown's annual home meet will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14, beginning at 9 a.m., on the North Campus course. The 2019 PSAC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25, at Bloomsburg.

Kutztown University will have 31 student-athletes representing its women's soccer program for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview online The 2019 season will bring a new look to the Kutztown University women's soccer team. With the renovation of Kutztown Field, KU will have a ton of positive energy around the program, as it continues to compete to achieve its lofty, yearly goals of winning championships. Not only will the field be different for the Golden Bears this year, but the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has also changed up its format for women's soccer. Since 2010, the PSAC has had a single division. With the addition of Shepherd University to the conference, the PSAC is now instituting two divisions (East and West), a first since it last had two divisions in 2009. Each team plays each other twice during the regular season. Kutztown was recently voted second in the Eastern Division of the PSAC preseason poll, behind defending conference champs and nationally-ranked Bloomsburg. Nationally-ranked West Chester, 2017 PSAC champion East Stroudsburg, and 2018 semifinalist Millersville round out the top-five in a very competitive division featuring a majority of the top teams in the Atlantic Region. But head coach Erik Burstein, beginning his 13th season as head coach, once again has an experienced and talented team that has played in big, postseason games earlier in their careers. "I have tremendous faith in this group," said Burstein. "We have some exceptional athletes who work hard, have great attitudes, buy into our culture, believe in our system and have worked hard to adapt to their new roles and responsibilities. They are an exciting group who truly want to be successful, and I believe they will be. However, we all know this new divisional format will provide some very different and unique challenges. We need to focus on one game at a time and make sure we finish in the top-four in the East. Once that is accomplished, we can start thinking about competing for championships. Stay humble and stay focused; one game at a time." KU finished the 2018 season at 14-4-2 overall and qualified for both the PSAC and NCAA Atlantic Region tournaments. It was the third consecutive NCAA berth and eighth in 10 years. Dating back to the 2008 season, Kutztown has earned 11 straight PSAC Tournament appearances. Kutztown begins its 2019 campaign with back-to-back road games. It will take on the University of Charleston (WV) in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 5, and then play at Millersville on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The home-opener in the brand-new Keystone Field complex will be Saturday night, Sept. 14, under the lights at 6 p.m., against East Stroudsburg.

15 students from a variety of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York colleges have been selected to labor during this year's Labor Day weekend Writing Wrongs project. During a 72-hour workshop held in Berks County, the students, working as staff writers, photographers, designers and social media managers, will conduct research and interviews, draft articles and design pages for a printed book available for sale through national book sellers that highlights stories of members of the LGBTQ+ community, this year's Writing Wrongs topic. Among this year's participants is KU student Jamilee Hoffman of Chalfont, Pa., who will serve as the social media manager. Hoffman is a senior communication studies major at KU. Learn more about Hoffman at the Writing Wrongs website. "Hopefully, I'll be able to make a difference by getting certain issues spread throughout the media," Hoffman said. "This way, issues can reach to whoever they need to (such as a government officials) who will be able to create justice for those issues, even it is only in my surrounding town/community. That change could contribute to the overall change that is needed in the world." In its fifth year, Writing Wrongs - a community journalism project dedicated to generating awareness and promoting understanding of critical social issues - is the brain child of Dawn Heinbach, a Reading Area Community College and Kutztown University graduate. Heinbach's sophomore year honors project - to develop a community-based journalism workshop to share the stories of local people impacted by societal issues - has grown into a nonprofit organization that has produced one newspaper and three books on a variety of issues ranging from homelessness and addiction, to sexual and domestic abuse. In discussing the growth of Writing Wrongs, Heinbach said, "every year the program is expanding to include students from a wider radius. We have students from well-known, competitive schools volunteering their time and skills to explore these important issues as they pertain to the residents of Reading. The point to remember when looking at the book and videos they create is that the students accomplish all this in just one weekend." The LGBT Center of Greater Reading is partnering with Writing Wrongs this year, providing speakers and a space for interviews with members of the LGBT community whose stories will frame this year's book. Learn more about Writing Wrongs at www.seekreporttruth.com.

Kutztown University junior Vanessa Maybruck has been awarded the 2019 Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society (DAPi) for Individuals with Disabilities scholarship. Valued at $2,000, the scholarship rewards an active member of DAPi who has attended at least 80% of the chapter meetings, held office in the organization, organized or assisted with at least one event sponsored by the chapter, or served as a mentor to another student with a disability. Despite heavy competition and several strong candidates this year, Maybruck attained the highest score. The Kutztown University IOTA Chapter of DAPi was established at KU in 2007 and currently has 30 members. Members of DAPi serve as role models for other students with disabilities and can participate in mentoring, awareness programs and campus service projects. Linda Lantaff, director of Disability Services and advisor of IOTA DAPi, said, "We all are very proud of and excited for Vanessa." For more information about the Kutztown DAPi chapter, please visit their website. For more information about the scholarship, please visit the DAPi website.

Kutztown University will have 27 student-athletes representing its field hockey program for the 2019 season. Read the full season preview online 2018 was an exciting and memorable year for the Kutztown University field hockey team both on and off the field. KU celebrated its 50th season as a program and did it in style, finishing 14-5 overall, the most wins by a program since 2007 and its fourth-straight winning season. Along the way, the Golden Bears also earned a spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament for the first time since 2015. Kutztown defeated two nationally-ranked teams last season, including a 2-0 victory over No. 1 West Chester Oct. 24, the second year in-a-row defeating the top-ranked team. KU saw itself ranked as high as sixth in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll. Head coach Marci Scheuing will have plenty of talent and experience at her disposal as 10 of the 11 starters from the PSAC Quarterfinal Round return. Seven of those 10 returning starters are seniors and two are juniors, so the 2019 team is surely seasoned. Kutztown opens its season Thursday, Sept. 5, on the road in Garden City, New York, at Adelphi. After a tournament at Saint Michael's in Vermont that weekend, the home-opener at Andre Reed Stadium is set for Friday, Sept. 13, at 3 p.m. vs. Slippery Rock. PSAC play begins Sept. 27, at Slippery Rock, while the conference home-opener is against Seton Hill Oct. 5, which is also senior day.

High-level academic and athletic performance continues to serve as a staple of Kutztown University. On Tuesday, July 9, 174 Golden Bear student-athletes were named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athletes for the 2018-19 academic year. Kutztown produced a school-record 181 honorees last year and valiantly backed that number up this year with its second-highest total ever. More than 100 Golden Bear student-athletes have earned PSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition in each of the last 13 years. Student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher at the completion of the most recent academic year to be eligible for PSAC Scholar-Athlete status. The PSAC's 18 institutions combined to produce 3,061 Scholar-Athletes, totaling 42% of the student-athlete population. Both numbers break previous conference records of 2,934 and 41% set just one year ago. The league has registered better than a 30% rate for 10 straight years. From Kutztown, 127 female student-athletes were honored, more than 61% of the female varsity student-athlete population. Just under 25% of the Golden Bear male student-athlete population qualified for Scholar-Athlete status with 51 honorees.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees for nearly 1,300 students for the Spring 2019 semester. Kutztown University announces degree conferment twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. Commencement exercises are held in May and December; however, students finish the requirements for graduation throughout the entire year. The following students have been awarded degrees following the spring 2019 semester. The cumulative grade point average necessary for honors distinction is: with honor (cum laude) 3.40; with high honor (magna cum laude) 3.60 and with highest honor (summa cum laude) 3.80. Students listed multiple times have been awarded more than one degree.

Tamara Jennings made history, Tuesday, as the first Kutztown University softball student-athlete to be named a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Spring Top 10 Award winner. Jennings, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in computer science in May, turned in the best season of her career in helping lead the Golden Bears to 36 victories and a spot in the PSAC Championship tournament. The Philadelphian compiled a .416 batting average with 72 hits, 50 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 51 runs batted and 14 stolen bases in across 56 games, setting career-highs in every category. Jennings also had a .458 on base percentage, .647 slugging percentage and .981 fielding percentage. Jennings led the PSAC with eight sacrifice flies, while ranking third in RBIs, fourth in runs scored and fourth in hits. She was also amongst the conference leaders in batting average (ninth), slugging percentage (ninth), stolen bases (ninth) and at-bats (10th, 173). For her on-field work, Jennings earned All-PSAC East, National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Atlantic Region First Team, Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Atlantic Region First Team and D2CCA All-America Honorable Mention honors. The outfielder's combination of on-field and classroom performance led to spots on the Google Cloud Academic All-District First Team and Academic All-America Third Team. Jennings and teammate Sara Keeny were the softball program's first Academic All-Americans. Jennings received the Kutztown University Honors Program Award and Computer Science/Technology Award in 2019. She will be named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the fourth time and NFCA Scholar-Athlete for the third time later this summer. Jennings, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), will begin work towards her Master of Science at Kutztown this fall. She is enrolled in the five-year computer science/information technology combined M.S./B.S. program. Tuesday's announcement gives Kutztown a female Top 10 recipient for the second year in a row. Jennings is KU's eighth female Spring Top 10 winner and 21st female Top 10 honoree since the awards were initiated during the 1997-98 academic year. The Top 10 Awards, selected by the PSAC's sports information directors, recognize student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition. The conference designates Top 10 Award winners after each of the sports seasons: fall, winter and spring. To be a candidate for the Top 10 Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.

Kutztown University field hockey's Mackenzie Fuhrman was selected to the Google Cloud Academic All-America NCAA Division II Women's At-Large Third Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Thursday. Fuhrman is a first-time honoree and becomes the sixth Golden Bear field hockey student-athlete to earn Academic All-America status. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania native is the program's third Academic All-American in the past four years, joining Courtney Konowal (Second Team, 2017-18) and Anna Behm (Thrid Team, 2015-16). Fuhrman, a rising senior holds a 3.93 cumulative GPA in communication design. On the field, she is coming off back-to-back National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-America First Team and All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team seasons in 2017 and 2018. Fuhrman registered career-highs of 11 assists and 21 points, and tied a career-high with five goals last fall as KU went 14-5 overall record and advanced to the PSAC Championship tournament for the first time in three seasons. Fuhrman's 0.53 assists per game ranked seventh in NCAA Division II and she ranked 43rd in points per game at 1.05. The midfielder is a three-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and National Academic Squad honoree and is in line to receive her third PSAC Scholar-Athlete award later this summer. Fuhrman has collected 44 career points on 12 goals and 20 assists in 53 games.

Rachel Tarnopoll of the Kutztown University women's golf team has been named All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Second Team following a career-best senior season. Tarnopoll, of Sparta, New Jersey, won two tournaments to go along with three top five and five top 10 finishes. An 83.14 scoring average over 14 rounds was a new career low for the remarkably consistent Tarnopoll, who averaged 83.2 (21 rounds) as a junior in 2017-18 and 83.4 (17 rounds) as a sophomore in 2016-17. The Golden Bears' leader during the spring season, Tarnopoll tied for individual medalist honors at the Kutztown Spring Invitational with a 6-over par 76 on April 7 at Moselem Springs Golf Club, and captured the East Stroudsburg University Spring Invitational outright with a 7-over two round total of 151 on April 13-14. Tarnopoll, who took 11th at the PSAC Championship back in October, recorded four rounds in the 70s this past season and tied the record for the lowest round in school history with an even par 72 during the final round of play at the ESU Invitational on April 14. Tarnopoll's final three season scoring averages in Maroon and Gold rank 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively, while her 84.0 career scoring average is the fourth best in program history. The all-conference honor is a career first for Tarnopoll, while Kutztown has had at least one golfer named All-PSAC in each of the last five seasons.

Kutztown University is pleased to welcome the newest members of the Golden Bear family, including both new incoming freshmen and transfer students.

Junior sprinter Kelly Groth (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) represented Kutztown University on the Google Cloud Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Groth, an elementary education major from Audubon, Pennsylvania, raised her cumulative GPA to 3.82 following the spring semester. She is appearing on the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team for the first time. Groth is also a five-time Dean's List student and soon-to-be three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient. Groth had a huge 2018-19 season on the track, setting five school records, winning PSAC indoor championships in the 60-meter dash and as part of the 4x400-meter relay and being named Most Outstanding Runner at the 2019 Indoor Championships. During the indoor season, Groth established program benchmarks in the 55-meter dash (7.22), 60-meter dash (7.70) and 200-meter dash (25.42). She went on to register school record times in the 100-meter dash (11.96w) and 200-meter dash (25.21) outdoors. Groth collected three All-PSAC honors at the Indoor Championships, adding to her 60m and 4x400m relay titles with a runner-up finish in the 200m. She was named USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region in the 60m and 200m. Groth is now eligible for Academic All-America honors. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-Americans will be announced on June 26.

Championship Central | Tickets The Kutztown University men's and women's rugby teams will participate in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships this weekend, May 31-June 2, at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia. Fans can follow Kutztown's Twitter account for weekend updates, as well as KU's schedule pages (women / men). All matches featured in-stadium will be covered live on ESPN+, the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. Fans can now subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and, in addition to hundreds of rugby matches annually, can stream thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. This year's 16-team women's field features defending champion Lindenwood University, who won the championship match last June over Penn State, 21-12, to capture its first women's title. Penn State also returns this year and is joined by the women's sides from Army, Bloomsburg, Delaware, Drexel, Kutztown, Life, Navy, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Queens University, Saint Joseph's, Temple, Virginia Tech as well as the National Small College Rugby Organization Selects Squad. For the first time, the women's championship field will be competing for the A. Jon Prusmack Cup. Kutztown will be in Pool D, along with NSCRO, Army and Northeastern. The KU men's sevens team will be competing in a 24-team pool and is placed in Pool D along with Iona, Wisconsin and Boston College. 2019 Collegiate Rugby Championships Complete information can be found at www.usasevenscrc.com SCHEDULE Friday, May 31 11:10 a.m. Kutztown Women vs. Northeastern University, Academy Field 2 1:10 p.m. Kutztown Women vs. Army University, Academy Field 2 2:50 p.m. Kutztown Women vs. NSCRO, Academy Field 2 Saturday, June 1 Women's matches will depend on the results of Friday's competition. 10:40 a.m. Kutztown Men vs. University of Iona, Talen Energy Stadium (ESPN +) 12:20 p.m. Kutztown Men vs. University of Wisconsin, Academy Field 1 5:15 p.m. Kutztown Men vs. Boston College, Talen Energy Stadium (ESPN +) Sunday, June 2 Matches to be determined based on Saturday's competition. ROSTERS Kutztown University Women's Team Melissa Albe, Kintnersville, Pa. Arianna Casado, Easton, Pa. Karleigh Davila, Clifton, N.J. Nicolle Dudkewic, Effort, Pa. Selena Garrett, Garnet Valley, Pa. Colleen Graney, Allentown, Pa. Aysia Grondahl, New Hope, Pa. Paige Krahling, Downingtown, Pa. Sarah Masters, Langhorne, Pa. Alexandra Quigg, Marlton, N.J. Riley Walker, Philadelphia, Pa. Kathryne Wasdyke, Rockaway, N.J. Kutztown University Men's Team Austin Barnes, Thornton, Colo. Maxim Bennett, Charlotte, N.C. Brandon Boon, Unionville, Pa. Jackson Clark, Greenville, S.C. Jason DeNofa, Philadelphia, Pa. Sam Devine, Philadelphia, Pa. Murphy Lill, Naussau, N.Y. Gerald Lowe, Pretoria, South Africa D'Montae Noble, Falls Church, Va. Ryan Nolan, Drogheda, Ireland Joe O'Shields, Charlotte, N.C. Daquan Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. Jake Rice, West Chester, Pa. Angel Santiago, Warminster, Pa.

Caleb Baukman of the Kutztown University men's track & field team has been selected to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as voted upon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Baukman graduated summa cum laude earlier this month, earning a Bachelor of Social Work. Throughout his academic career, the Wallingford, Pennsylvania native and 2018-19 KU Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year compiled a 3.93 GPA. In his premiere event, the high jump, Baukman placed a career-best third at the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Indoor Championships to earn All-PSAC honors for the first time. He followed that up with sixth-place finish in the event at the 2019 Outdoor Championships. Baukman ranks seventh all-time in the high jump on KU's Indoor Top 10 list (6'6.25"/1.99m) and 10th on the Outdoor Top 10 list (6'6.75"/2.00m). He earned All-Atlantic Region honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) at the conclusion of the 2018-19 indoor season. Academically, Baukman was an eight-time Dean's List honoree and is poised to become a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and three-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient later this summer. Baukman moves onto the Google Cloud Academic All-America ballot. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-Americans will be announced June 26.