Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown University men's tennis was announced as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team for the second year in a row and six players collected ITA Scholar-Athlete honors. The Golden Bears were among 64 NCAA Division II men's teams to surpass the ITA's required 3.2 team grade point average (GPA) during the 2022-23 academic year. Kutztown amassed a 3.487 team GPA this past year, second-highest in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Only three conference teams earned the academic team honor, with Mercyhurst and West Chester joining the Bears. To receive ITA Scholar-Athlete status, student-athletes needed to post a 3.5 GPA during the 2022-23 academic year. The Maroon and Gold were represented on that list by Sebastian Arizpe (Puebla, Mexico/Colegio Humboldt de Puebla), Gonzalo Barcelo (San Pedro, Argentina/Nuestra Senora del Socorro), Justin Gincauskas (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park Secondary) and Ethan Moyer (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) for the second time, while freshmen Lucas Cherniak (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini) and Emmitt Robinson (Ingersoll, Ontario/Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute) received the honor following their first collegiate seasons. A total of 468 Division II men's student-athletes were honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes overall.

The Kutztown University men's and women's track & field teams were named Division II All-Academic teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and junior Anthony DeFusco (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) was tabbed as an All-Academic Athlete by the organization. DeFusco, who earned All-Atlantic Region status by the USTFCCCA back in May, boasts a 3.75 GPA majoring in geography. To be named an All-Academic Athlete, one must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.25 through the end of the semester of competition. The student-athlete also must have achieved an automatic or provisional qualifying mark (individual or relay event) for either the indoor season or outdoor season. DeFusco is a four-time Outdoor All-Region performer, having landed on the team in the triple jump in 2022 and both the long and triple jumps in 2021. He was tied for fourth in the Atlantic Region in the long jump, surpassing an NCAA Division II provisional mark with a career-best jump of 7.38m (24'2.5") at the Coach Pollard Invitational hosted by Moravian, April 22. The Douglassville native's new personal standard moved him up to third on Kutztown's all-time top 10 list. Both the men's and women's programs found themselves on the list as well as a whole. The men's cumulative GPA was a 3.09 and the women's was a 3.27. The cumulative GPA for each team must be a 3.0 or higher to be selected.

Five Kutztown University women's bowling student-athletes appeared on the 2022-23 National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-Academic list, which was announced by the organization this week. Student-athletes must have a 3.4 cumulative grade point average or higher for the academic year to qualify for NTCA All-Academic honors. This year there were 285 student-athletes recognized from 57 institutions that sponsor NCAA bowling. Representing the Golden Bears on this year's list are Alyssa Blood (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone), Jordan Dean (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor), Megan Hanaway (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township), Alexis Schweizer (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) and Ally Sipe (York, Pa./Central York). Blood, Dean and Hanaway are each three-time honorees, while Sipe earned her second All-Academic award and Schweizer her first. Kutztown has had five or more student-athletes recognized on the NTCA All-Academic list in 10 of the last 11 years.

Kutztown University women's golf was represented by seniors Olivia Donnini (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood), Cecelia Knecht (North Charleston, S.C./Fort Dorchester) and Alexis Verdes (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) on the listing of 2022-23 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars, the organization recently announced. A total of 1,423 women's collegiate golfers from 384 programs were recognized with All-American Scholar accolades. To be eligible for the All-American Scholar list, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, be an amateur and rostered through the conclusion of the their team's season and have played in at least 50% of their team's competitive rounds for a given season. Donnini and Knecht are four-time All-American Scholars, while Verdes earned the award for the second time in her career. Donnini played in all 17 rounds for the Golden Bears this past season, averaging 91.35 per round, third best on the team. She won the Ursinus Spring Invitational with a season best round of 82, March 30, while posting a top five and two top 10 finishes. The Wapwallopen, Pa., native graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science (paralegal studies) in May. Knecht once again paced Kutztown in the scoring department with a team low average of 85.75 across 16 rounds, capping a career that saw the senior from North Charleston, S.C., average 86.2 over 50 rounds. Knecht claimed her lone win of the season in her final home tournament, the Kutztown Spring Invitational on April 16, with a 10-over par 80. She also led the team in top five (four) and top 10 (five) finishes. Knecht received her degree in biology (molecular/microbiology/cell biology) in May with magna cum laude honors. Verdes, from Oak Ridge, N.J., set new career-highs in rounds played (10) and scoring average (109.90) during her senior campaign with the Maroon and Gold. Verdes graduated magna cum laude with a degree in marketing this past May. With three All-American Scholars in 2022-23, Kutztown has now had multiple honorees in six of the last seven seasons.

It was another outstanding year in the classroom for Kutztown University student-athletes, with 227 being named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athletes, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. The 2022-23 academic year marks the fourth in a row that the Golden Bears have eclipsed the 200 honoree mark. In order to be eligible for PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25. The conference instituted a new policy this year, honoring athletes meeting the academic requirement in only PSAC sponsored sports. This change directly affected Kutztown's acrobatics & tumbling and women's bowling teams, which do not compete under the PSAC banner. Acrobatics & tumbling is part of the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) and does not have a conference affiliation, while women's bowling is an associate member of the East Coast Conference (ECC). Bowlers are eligible to be named to the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll, which is usually released in late July. Previous recipients were also affected from various sports that the PSAC doesn't sponsor at other institutions, resulting in a drop of overall honorees across the conference's 18 institutions to 3,795. The percentage of honorees among all student-athletes remained consistent at 52% (3,794-of-7,319) compared to last year's 53%.

One of the most prolific wide receivers in Kutztown University history, Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) put up career best numbers across the board in 2022. Kapp was recognized for his outstanding season, Friday, when he was named the 202-23 KU Male Athlete of the Year. Kapp, a Barto, Pa., native and recent New York Jets signee, established new career-highs with 47 receptions, 916 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches as Kutztown finished with an 8-3 record last fall. A two-time All-PSAC East First Team selection, Kapp ranks third in program history with 2,190 receiving yards, tied for fourth with 22 TD catches and 12th in receptions with 122. His 2022 totals rank sixth in receiving yards and tied for ninth in TD catches in program single-season history. Kapp led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 19.5 yards per catch in 2022. He was tied for third in TD catches, fourth in receiving yards per game (83.3) and fifth in total receiving yards. Kapp was an offensive force as Kutztown won PSAC East titles in 2019 and 2021, an overall PSAC championship in 2021 and reached three NCAA Division II Championship tournaments. The 2021 team advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Kapp was also a 2022 Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Honorable Mention selection and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team choice. Presented annually since 1987, the Kutztown University Athletics Male Athlete of the Year award recognizes a Golden Bear for athletic excellence during the course of an academic year. The award is voted upon by athletic department administration, coaches and support staff, and announced each summer. Kapp is the 10th recipient of the award to come from the football program and first since Jordan Morgan in 2017.

Kutztown University inducted 16 new members into the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society, at its annual induction ceremony this past spring. Alpha Kappa Delta is a non-secret, democratic, international society of scholars dedicated to the ideal of Athropon Katamannthanein Diakonesin or "to investigate humanity for the purpose of service." Membership is open to undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members from active chapters who meet our minimum standards. Currently, there are more than 115,000 members in Alpha Kappa Delta and more than 650 chapters.

In his first season donning the Maroon and Gold, wrestling's Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) won 21 matches and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships. On Wednesday afternoon, Gimbor was announced as the 2022-23 Kutztown University Athletics Male Freshman of the Year. Gimbor, from Bernville, Pa., competed at 165 pounds as a redshirt freshman for head coach Robert Fisher and the Golden Bears. He placed fifth at the Centenary (N.J.) Bob Quade Cyclone Open and sixth at the season-opening ESU Open, before making a significant impact as part of Kutztown's dual starting lineup, where he posted an 8-3 record overall and 5-2 mark against PSAC opponents. Gimbor was impressive throughout the season, but really stepped up down the stretch, winning nine of his last 12 matches. He squared off against the most nationally ranked opponents of any Golden Bear (seven) and defeated 10th ranked Dillon Keane of Pit-Johnstown in a road PSAC dual, Feb. 3, with a 9-5 decision. At the Super Region 1 Championships hosted by East Stroudsburg, Gimbor bounced back from a semifinal setback to defeat Mercyhurst's Mike Clark (pin, 2:25) and ESU's Luke Ciampa (dec., 8-2) to claim third in his weight class and the final qualifying spot at nationals. Gimbor went on to win a pair of bouts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, first earning a 9-5 decision over Glenville State's Gaetano DeLeonardis in a preliminary round match before holding off Newberry's Patrick Wunderlich, 9-7, in a first round consolation. Gimbor finished the season with a 21-10 overall record and a team-high five major decisions. He also ranked tied for second on the team in technical falls with three and third in pins with five. Gimbor was an All-PSAC Third Team selection at 165. Presented annually since 1993, the Kutztown University Athletics Male Freshman of the Year award recognizes a first-year Golden Bear for outstanding athletic achievement. The award is voted upon by athletic department administration, coaches and support staff. Gimbor is the second straight grappler to win the award, joining 2021-22 recipient Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan). Other former winners from the wrestling team include Kohlby O'Donnell (1997-98), Brandan Clark (2011-12) and Ziad Haddad (2012-13).

Kayla Argen (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) concluded her illustrious career last season and is up there with the best players in Kutztown women's soccer history. She's won numerous awards and her name is all over the program record books, and on Thursday, Argen was named the 2022-23 KU Female Athlete of the Year. A native of Cresco, Pa., Argen closed her Golden Bear career with a team-high 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists as Kutztown women's soccer advanced to the third round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Championship. One of the final 16 teams playing, KU finished as Atlantic Region runners-up. A two-year team captain, Argen is a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American, earning First Team accolades in 2021 and Third Team honors in 2022. She was also a D2CCA All-America Third Team choice in 2021 and two-time All-Atlantic Region First Team selection by both United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA. Argen is a two-time All-PSAC East First Team midfielder and was voted PSAC East Athlete of the Year in 2021. She ranks third in program history with 25 assists, fifth with 75 points and ninth with 25 goals in 73 career games. The Golden Bears made three NCAA Tournament appearances during Argen's career. She was the leader last season for a KU team that went 11-6-4 overall, reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament (Sweet 16) and ranked 19th in the final United Soccer Coaches DII Top 25. Argen led the PSAC in assists and assists per game (0.50) while ranking in the top 15 nationally in both categories. Last month, at the All-Sports Celebration on campus, Argen was voted the Senior Athlete and Senior Scholar-Athlete, becoming just the second female student-athlete at KU to win both awards. Academically, Argen graduated magna cum laude in May 2022 with a degree in sport management, before beginning work towards her Master of Business Administration. She posted a 3.73 undergraduate GPA and currently holds a 3.63 graduate GPA. Argen is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection, six-time KU Dean's List student, four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and three-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient. Following her senior academic year in 2021-22, Argen was presented with a KU Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award silver medal for notable achievements in athletics. Presented annually since 1987, the Kutztown University Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award recognizes a Golden Bear for athletic excellence during the course of an academic year. The award is voted upon by athletic department administration, coaches and support staff, and announced each summer.

Adrianna Derstine (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) broke onto the collegiate scene in a big way for Kutztown women's volleyball in 2022. She etched her name in the record books of program lore and collected numerous postseason accolades along the way. On Tuesday, Derstine was named the 2022-23 KU Female Freshman of the Year. The Barto native made a name for herself and helped the Golden Bears have a resurgent season, ending with a 13-12 overall record, its most wins since the 2014 campaign. Derstine was voted the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Freshman of the Year, the program's first in 20 years, and earned spots on the All-PSAC East First Team and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team, the first All-Region selection since 2015. She also gives volleyball its first Freshman of the Year award since 2001. Derstine started all 25 matches this past season, playing in 95 sets. She finished with the eight-most kills (401) in a season in program history and tied the KU record with 30 kills in a match. She also owns the fourth-most with 29 in a match. Derstine led the PSAC in kills and points per set (4.74). She also ranked second on the team with 51 blocks and fourth with 241 digs, while adding 19 service aces and 18 assists. Her 450 points (kills/blocks/assists/digs) led the PSAC. Presented annually since 1993, the Kutztown University Athletics Female Freshman of the Year award recognizes a first-year Golden Bear for outstanding athletic achievement. Kutztown University's annual athletic awards are selected through a vote of the department's administration, head coaches and support staff. Throughout the week, winners will be announced on KUBears.com and the Golden Bears' social media channels.

Kutztown University inducted three students into its 2023 class of Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society at its annual induction ceremony this spring. The Kutztown University Chapter (Xi of PA) of the Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society provides an opportunity to recognize the academic achievements of students in the Anthropology Program. Lambda Alpha honors outstanding academic achievement in anthropology. Graduation regalia, including stoles and pins, can be purchased from Lambda Alpha to symbolize this honor. Lambda Alpha offers a national scholarship worth $5000 to be awarded to a graduating senior majoring in anthropology, as well as awards for outstanding student papers. Lambda Alpha maintains a journal that provides an opportunity for students to share their work with a national audience. To join the Xi of Pennsylvania Chapter of Lambda Alpha, undergraduate students must be a junior or senior, have completed at least 12 semester hours of course work in anthropology (which can include no more than six semester hours in sociology), have an anthropology GPA of at least 3.0 and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

The Kutztown University athletic department announced the Team MVPs and Coaches Award winners Thursday, following the 2022-23 calendar year.

Kayla Argen (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) of the women's soccer team, Kyree Generett (York, Pa./William Penn) of the men's basketball team and Jerome Kapp (Barto, Pa./Boyertown) of the football team claimed Kutztown University athletics' annual senior awards for 2022-23. The awards were voted upon by the athletic department's coaches, administration and support staff, and presented to the recipients at the All-Sports Celebration in May. Argen swept Senior Athlete and Senior Scholar-Athlete honors on the women's side. Kapp earned the Male Senior Athlete award and Generett was recognized as the Male Senior Scholar-Athlete. Argen joins volleyball's Sarah Brandon (2007) as the only KU female student-athletes to be recognized with both the Senior Athlete and Senior Scholar-Athlete awards. Michael Baldwin of the football team is the lone male to capture both awards, doing so in 2006. A native of Cresco, Pa., Argen closed her Golden Bear career with a team-high 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists as Kutztown women's soccer advanced to the third round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Championship. One of the final 16 teams playing, KU finished as Atlantic Region runners-up. Argen is a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American, earning First Team accolades in 2021 and Third Team honors in 2022. She was also a D2CCA All-America Third Team choice in 2021 and two-time All-Atlantic Region First Team selection by both United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA. Argen is a two-time All-PSAC East First Team midfielder and was voted PSAC East Athlete of the Year in 2021. She ranks third in program history with 25 assists, fifth with 75 points and ninth with 25 goals in 73 career games. The Golden Bears made three NCAA Tournament appearances during Argen's career. Academically, Argen graduated magna cum laude in May 2022 with a degree in sport management, before beginning work towards her Master of Business Administration. She posted a 3.73 undergraduate GPA and currently holds a 3.63 graduate GPA. Argen is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection, six-time KU Dean's List student, four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and three-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient. Following her senior academic year in 2021-22, Argen was presented with a KU Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award silver medal for notable achievements in athletics. In just three seasons with the Maroon and Gold, Kapp cemented his legacy as one of the top receivers in more than 100 years of KU football. The Barto, Pa., product set new career-highs with 47 receptions, 916 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches in 2022 as Kutztown finished with an 8-3 record. A two-time All-PSAC East First Team pick, Kapp ranks third in program history with 2,190 receiving yards, tied for fourth with 22 TD catches and 12th in receptions with 122. Among the program's single-season leaders, Kapp ranks sixth in receiving yards and tied for ninth in TD catches on the strength of his 2022 numbers. Kapp's contributions helped Kutztown to PSAC East titles in 2019 and 2021, an overall PSAC championship in 2021 and three NCAA playoff appearances. The 2021 team advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Kapp was a 2022 Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Honorable Mention selection and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team choice. He recently inked a free agent deal with the National Football League's New York Jets. Generett has been the epitome of a leader for Golden Bear men's basketball on and off the court over the course of his collegiate career. The York, Pa., native graduated summa cum laude this May with a degree in elementary education and concentrations in mathematics and social studies. He totaled a 3.86 GPA. Generett is a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and three-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient with additional honors likely headed his way later this summer. He made the KU Dean's List eight times and received Lehigh Valley College Basketball Media Organization Scholar-Athlete Team honors three times. Generett received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors this season and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Athletics Honor Society. On the court, Generett had his best season in 2022-23, averaging career-highs of 15.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game on his way to All-PSAC East Second Team honors. Generett scored 909 points, grabbed 248 rebounds and registered 207 assists in 100 career games. He ranks seventh in KU history in free throw percentage at 84.5% (261-of-309).

Kutztown University inducted 22 students into the Tau Sigma National Transfer Honor Society at its induction ceremony in April 2023. Tau Sigma was incorporated in 1999 at Auburn University and there are more than 175 chapters across the country. Tau Sigma National Honor Society is a growing, prestigious organization on KU's campus for transfer students. Established in 2016, the Eta Mu chapter is the third Tau Sigma chapter within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). This chapter has been recognizing transfer students who earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their first semester at KU.

Kutztown University inducted 10 students into its 2023 class of Alpha Epsilon Lambda, National Honor Society for Graduate and Professional Students, at its annual induction ceremony April 4. Kutztown University is the home of the Gamma Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda. This chapter marked the founding of the first honor society solely for graduate students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The mission of the organization is to confer distinction for high achievement, promote leadership development, promote scholarship and encourage intellectual development, enrich the intellectual environment of graduate institutions and encourage high standards of ethical behavior. Graduate students seeking membership in the Gamma Chapter at Kutztown University must have completed a minimum of 12 graduate semester hours, attain a graduate quality point average in the upper 35 percent of all graduate students currently enrolled at the university and provide a record of leadership and service to the campus and the community.

42 juniors and seniors at Kutztown University have completed a Career Success Certificate for the Spring 2023 semester. The Career Success Certificate is open to all juniors and seniors. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interviewing skills and the role of social media in the hiring process. They will also be better prepared to conduct the internship, job, or graduate school search.

Kutztown University has issued Career Exploration Certificates to 68 students for the 2023 spring semester. The Career Exploration Certificate is open to all freshmen and sophomore students. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. They will be better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing experiences, and plan for a successful internship/professional job or graduate school search.

The Kutztown University Department of Mathematics inducted eight students into Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national mathematics honor society, at its induction ceremony Friday, May 5. Kappa Mu Epsilon is a specialized honor society in Mathematics. KME was founded in 1931 to promote the interest of mathematics among undergraduate students. Its chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing which offer a strong mathematics major. The chapters' members are selected from students of mathematics and other closely related fields who have maintained standards of scholarship, have professional merit, and have attained academic distinction. Both men and women are eligible for membership. To qualify for membership, a student: - Must have completed at least three semesters of college-level mathematics; - Must have completed at least three mathematics courses at the MAT 181 level or above; - Must have an overall GPA at Kutztown University of at least 0; and, - Must have a GPA for all the mathematics courses above MAT 181 taken (at KU) of at least 3.0.

Kayla Argen (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) of the Kutztown University women's soccer team and Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) of the Golden Bear women's lacrosse team have been named 2022-23 Outstanding Athletes of the Year in their respective sports by the Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (LVAIAW). Argen, a graduate student from Cresco, Pa., capped her Golden Bear career with United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America honors in 2022. The standout midfielder established a new career-high with 26 points and led KU in all offensive categories, including goals (8), assists (10), shots (43) and shots on goal (26). Argen produced 25 goals and 25 assists for 75 points across 78 career games, ranking third in program history in career assists, fifth in points and ninth in goals. She was a two-time All-PSAC East First Team selection (PSAC East Athlete of the Year in 2021), two-time United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region First Team honoree and two-time All-American (First Team in 2021). Meakim's development into one of the elite players on the PSAC women's lacrosse scene came into full focus this spring. The Hatboro, Pa., native set program single-season records of 59 assists and 82 points in leading Kutztown to a record-tying 13 wins and their first-ever appearances in the PSAC Championship and NCAA Division II Championship tournaments. Meakim shattered her previous career-highs of 16 assists and 47 points, while chipping in 23 goals. In 49 games over three seasons, Meakim has amassed 62 goals and 81 assists for 143 points. She already stands as KU's career leader in assists and ranks fifth in points. Meakim claimed All-PSAC East First Team, IWLCA All-Atlantic Region First Team and IWLCA All-America Third Team honors this season. In doing so, she, along with teammate Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills), became Kutztown's first women's lacrosse All-Americans since 1988. Argen, a repeat choice as the women's soccer Outstanding Athlete of the Year from 2021, was also named Kutztown's institutional Outstanding Athlete for 2022-23 by the LVAIAW. The LVAIAW, founded in 1978, is made up of seven schools, Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Moravian University and Muhlenberg College. For more information on the LVAIAW, visit lvaiaw.com.

1,949 students have been named to the Spring 2023 Dean's List at Kutztown University. To be eligible for the Dean's List, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 12 credits and have a minimum grade point average of 3.60.

Six students from Kutztown University will attend The Washington Center's Academic Internship Program this summer, the most KU students in one session to date. The Washington Center is the largest and most established student internship program in Washington, D.C. Since its founding, The Washington Center helped more than 60,000 young people translate their college majors into career paths. KU students include: Elizabeth Kolb, Phoenixville, Pa. Olive Mulbah, East Lansdowne, Pa. Emily Prior, Fogelsville, Pa. Makayla Pfister, Schwenksville, Pa. Paula Guarderas, Pottstown, Pa. Lismeylin Feliz Medrano, Reading, Pa. The Washington Center's Academic Internship Program is composed of three components - internship, academic course and career readiness programming - each designed to help students translate their academic and professional interests into careers they love.

Kutztown University junior outfielder Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge) and senior utility player Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) captured their first career ABCA/Rawlins All-Region honors, Wednesday, as the American Baseball Coaches Association released its 2023 NCAA Division II All-Region teams. Both Golden Bear representatives landed on the Atlantic Region Second Team. Two teams were selected across each of the eight regions nationwide: East, Atlantic, Southeast, South, Midwest, Central, South Central and West. Martini paced Kutztown with a .333 batting average, 57 hits, three triples, 40 runs batted in and 50 runs scored, while also sharing the team lead with eight home runs. The Trevose, Pa., native established new career-highs in almost every offensive category, including batting average, hits, runs scored, doubles (14), triples, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage (.591), walks (21) and sacrifice flies (three). Martini, who was also named All-PSAC East Second Team for the first time in his career, ranked third in the league in runs per game (1.11). He played and started in a career-high 45 games for the 26-19 Golden Bears and recorded a .968 fielding percentage with 87 putouts and three assists. Moretski chipped in with both his bat and his arm for a Kutztown team that collected its most wins since 2014. The standout from Harleysville, Pa., hit .288 with a team-leading 15 doubles, three home runs, 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored. On the mound, Moretski compiled a 3-4 record, 3.38 earned run average and 47 strikeouts in 37.1 innings over 15 appearances. The Bears' primary starter at second base, Moretski was used mainly in a relief role, which accounted for 12 of his 15 appearances. He ranked third on the team in strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a paltry .208 batting average against him. Moretski is a two-time All-PSAC East honoree, having claimed First Team honors for the first time this season. Kutztown's two all-region selections are its most under current head coach Eric Folmar and give the Maroon and Gold multiple selections in a season for the first time since 2014. Millersville's Bren Taylor was named Atlantic Region Player of the Year and Mercyhurst's Jarrett Heilman took Pitcher of the Year honors.

Four Kutztown University track & field athletes have been named All-Atlantic Region for the 2023 outdoor season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Following the conclusion of the regular season, top five ranking individuals in each event from each region are recognized with All-Region honors, along with each member of the three fastest relay teams. The Atlantic Region is comprised of schools from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Mountain East Conference (MEC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Kutztown had two representatives from the men's team in junior Anthony DeFusco (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) (long jump) and sophomore Anthony Helmstetter (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) (javelin), and two from the women's team in freshman Mia Grassia (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) (high jump) and sophomore Sophia Knerr (Columbia, N.J./North Warren Regional) (3000-meter steeplechase). DeFusco is a four-time Outdoor All-Region performer, having landed on the team in the triple jump in 2022 and both the long and triple jumps in 2021. The All-Region honors for Helmstetter, Grassia and Knerr are the first of their respective careers. DeFusco was tied for fourth in the Atlantic Region in the long jump, surpassing an NCAA Division II provisional mark with a career-best jump of 7.38m (24'2.5") at the Coach Pollard Invitational hosted by Moravian, April 22. The Douglassville, Pa., native's new personal standard moved him up to third on Kutztown's all-time top 10 list. Helmstetter broke through with the best javelin throw of his career at the PSAC Championships two weeks ago, sending it 58.25m (191'1") to claim the bronze medal. The second-year thrower from Middlesex, N.J., ranked fourth in the Atlantic Region and jumped 12 spots at the conference meet from a 15th place showing as a freshman. Grassia concluded a successful first year with a silver medal finish in the high jump at the PSAC Championships. The Bay Shore, N.Y., native joined Kutztown's top 10 list at the Paul Kaiser Invitational, April 29, before clearing a season- and career-best 1.66m (5'2.5") at the conference meet to move into sole possession of fifth place in program history. Grassia ended the year tied for the fourth best jump in the region. Knerr ran a personal best 11:33.29 in the 3000m steeplechase at the PSAC Championships to take third and capture her first career conference medal (bronze). Her time was good for fifth fastest in the Atlantic Region and marked her second straight PR in the event following an 11:36.82 at the Paul Kaiser Invitational. The sophomore from Columbia, N.J., holds sixth on KU's top 10 list.

Kutztown University baseball student-athletes Mitchell Peers (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown), Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) and Jake Skrocki (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) were recognized on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division II Academic All-District Team this week. The trio of Golden Bears received Academic All-District honors for their combined performance on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-District and All-America program recognizes honorees in four divisions -NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Honorees must be starters or important reserves on their teams, reached sophomore standing or higher and have a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average. Graduate students must have a 3.50 GPA as both an undergrad and grad student. Peers, a graduate student from Gilbertsville, Pa., earned his undergraduate degree in business administration with a focus in accounting. He is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration. Peers holds a 3.89 in his master's program and had a 3.58 undergrad GPA. After playing in the outfield during his first two seasons with the Bears, Peers moved to first base in 2023. He set new career-highs in batting average (.286), hits (44), RBIs (33) and walks (21), while tying a career-high with eight doubles. Proietto is a senior pitcher and first baseman for the Golden Bears. He also spent time at designated hitter. The Norristown, Pa., native is majoring in sport management and has a 3.99 GPA. Proietto ranked second on the team in wins (5), third in strikeouts (46) and third in innings pitched (48.0). He was 16th among PSAC pitchers with 8.62 strikeouts per nine innings and fanned five or more batters in 5-of-10 starts. He was productive with the bat, too, hitting a career-best .318 with 21 hits, three home runs, five doubles and 16 RBIs. Skrocki had a breakout season on the bump for the Maroon and Gold. A graduate student from Royersford, Pa., Skrocki is in the first year of his Master of Business Administration program. He posted a 3.90 undergrad GPA, earning his degree in business administration with a finance concentration. Skrocki earned All-PSAC East Second Team honors in 2023 behind career-best marks in ERA (3.35), wins (8), innings pitched (80.2), strikeouts (48) and opponent batting average (.240). The right-hander was tied for the PSAC and ranked among the top 30 in NCAA Division II. He also topped the league in innings pitched. Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced June 7.

Kutztown University pitcher Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Division II Softball Team earlier this week. Gravish, a sophomore, is a social media theory and strategy major that sported a 3.93 cumulative grade point average at the time of her nomination. The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The Hamburg Pa., native stepped up in a big way for the Golden Bears this spring. Gravish threw just 5.2 innings during her first collegiate season on a senior-heavy Kutztown team in 2022, but transformed into the staff's ace in 2023. She set new career-best numbers across the board with a 2.34 earned run average, 19 wins, 14 complete games, 164.1 innings pitched and 113 strikeouts in 36 appearances (21 starts). Gravish also contributed 17 hits, 11 RBIs, six doubles and two home runs offensively for the Golden Bears. Kutztown finished with a 30-26 overall record, while qualifying for the PSAC Championship and NCAA Division II Championship tournaments. Gravish earned All-PSAC East Second Team recognition this season. She ranked second in the PSAC in wins, fifth in innings pitched, sixth in ERA and seventh in strikeouts at the conclusion of Kutztown's season. Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced June 6.

History continued to be written by the 2023 Kutztown University women's lacrosse team, Thursday, when sophomore midfielder Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and junior attack Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) were announced as Third Team All-Americans by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). Graf and Meakim join exclusive company as the Golden Bears' first All-Americans since Jane Geyer in 1984. Geyer, a Kutztown Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, was the program's lone player to earn All-America honors, doing so in both 1983 and 1984. Graf previously captured IWLCA All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC East First Team honors. The dynamic two-way midfielder from Wayne, N.J., finished with a program single-season record 110 draw controls, third most in the PSAC. Graf also ranked among the conference leaders in shots (fourth, 148), goals (tied for fourth, 52) and points (seventh, 68). She set new career-highs in goals, points, shots, draw controls, ground balls (team-leading 47) and caused turnovers (22). Meakim joined Graf as a First Team All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC First Team selection. The Hatboro, Pa., native had a breakout season, setting Kutztown single-season records with 59 assists and 82 points. Meakim also chipped in 23 goals, 33 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Meakim led the PSAC in assists and ranked second in assists per game (3.11) at the conclusion of the Golden Bears' season. She was fifth in NCAA Division II in assists per game and sixth in total assists. Behind its All-America selections, Kutztown took its game to a new level in 2023. The Golden Bears went from a four-win season in 2022 to a program single-season record-tying 13 victories this spring. Kutztown knocked off nationally ranked East Stroudsburg twice, entered the IWLCA National Poll for the first time and made its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament in program history.

Kutztown University senior Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) was selected to the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Atlantic Region First Team, Tuesday. The Swanton, Vt., native, a three-time all-conference pick, captured her first all-region honor at designated player after a standout season that saw her contribute with her bat and in the circle for the Golden Bears. Harvey hit .383 (62-for-162) with nine home runs, nine doubles, 39 runs batted in and 32 runs scored. She paced Kutztown in homers, RBIs, total bases (98), slugging percentage (.605) and was second in on base percentage (.423). Among PSAC players, Harvey ranked ninth in home runs. As a pitcher, Harvey contributed a 6-6 record and 3.58 earned run average in 30 appearances (16 starts). She struck out 57 and allowed a .273 batting average to opposing hitters, second-best on the team. Harvey was named All-PSAC East First Team at utility/pitcher back on May 2. She was also an all-league First Team performer in 2022 and Second Team honoree in 2021. Kutztown finished the 2023 season with a 30-26 overall record. The Golden Bears qualified for both the PSAC Championship and NCAA Division II Championship tournaments.

Kutztown University women's lacrosse had record representation on the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Atlantic Region teams with five players honored, the organization announced Wednesday afternoon. A trio of Golden Bears were selected to the First Team: defender Cyrose Conteh (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown), midfielder Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and attack Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland). Attackers Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and Shannon Lake (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) claimed Second Team honors. It is the first career all-region honor for all five Kutztown student-athletes and the program's most selections ever in a season. The all-region selections are KU's first since 1984. The program held varsity status from 1976-90 and returned as a varsity program in 2008. Conteh, a 2023 All-PSAC East First Team pick, leads Kutztown with 25 caused turnovers, while rankings second with 58 draw controls and 40 ground balls. The senior from Elizabethtown, Pa., has totaled 131 draw controls (fourth in program history), 89 ground balls and 49 caused turnovers in 52 career games. She also registered 26 goals and 30 points over her first two seasons, when she served as an attack and midfielder. Conteh has 33 career points on 29 goals and four assists. Graf is also coming off an All-PSAC East First Team selection. The standout midfielder continues to build on a program single-season record with 109 draw controls, third most in the PSAC. Graf, of Wayne, N.J., also ranks fourth in the conference with 139 shots, fifth in goals with 49 and seventh in points with 65. The sophomore has established career-highs in goals, points, shots, draw controls, ground balls (team-high 45) and caused turnovers (21). Meakim is the third Golden Bear to collect both All-PSAC East and All-Atlantic Region First Team nods this season. The junior and native of Hatboro, Pa., enters the NCAA Tournament having already jumped to the top of Kutztown's single-season record book in assists (58) and points (81), while contributing 23 goals, 32 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Meakim continues to pace the PSAC in assists and ranks second in assists per game (3.22). She ranks within the top five in NCAA Division II in both categories. ElBouazzaoui also captured All-PSAC East First Team honors earlier this month and finds herself on the All-Atlantic Region Second Team. The sophomore leads the Golden Bears and ranks fourth in the PSAC with a career-high 52 goals, including 10 hat tricks. ElBouazzaoui has taken 134 shots, second most on the team, and her 24 draw controls rank third. A Bridgewater, N.J., native, ElBouazzaoui is sitting on 95 career goals. Lake recently received All-PSAC East Second Team accolades. The junior from Medford, N.Y., is stepping up at the most important time of the season for the Maroon and Gold. Lake is up to 42 goals, 13 assists and 55 points, while adding 15 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. She's totaled 14 multi-goal games, including five in a row heading into the national tournament. Lake is coming off a hat trick in Kutztown's PSAC semifinal loss to Seton Hill last Friday. Kutztown, ranked 21st in the latest IWLCA Division II Poll and 14th in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Poll, will face No. 17/15 East Stroudsburg in the opening round of the NCAA Championship, Friday, May 12, at 3 p.m., on West Chester University's Vonnie Gros Field. It will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season.

Kutztown University's Department of Geography recently held its annual awards ceremony and Gamma Theta Upsilon induction. Congratulations to the following students: 2023 Student awardees: - Emily Leggiero, Justham Family Memorial Award - Patrick O'Brien, C. Josephine Moyer Geography Award - Emily Leggiero, Delaware Valley Geographical Award - Sorrel Langkamer-Smith, Robert and Rosalin Ensminger Award 2023 Gamma Theta Upsilon Inductees: - Anthony DeFusco - Zachary Goodman - Natalie Kamieniecki - Sorrel Langkamer-Smith

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its Division II softball All-Region teams and Kutztown University sophomore outfielder Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) was voted to the Second Team, announced by the organization Wednesday. This is the second postseason honor on the season for Stocklin, who also earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Second Team All-Conference honors earlier this month. Stocklin, who was named the 2021-22 KU Female Freshman of the Year, had a sophomore surge this season. She leads the KU lineup in hits (65) and runs scored (44), which ranks 10th in the conference. and is second in batting average (.361), starting all 53 games in the leadoff spot, setting the tone for her team to score runs. Stocklin has three triples on the year, which is tied for ninth-best in the conference. Kutztown's season continues with its third straight trip to NCAA Atlantic Regionals when it takes on host Charleston tomorrow, Thursday, May 11, at noon.