Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Kutztown University's Department of Biology recently held its annual awards ceremony. We congratulate the following award recipients: - Samuel Gundy Early Achievement Scholarship in Biology: Abbie Banks and Isabelle Mack - Department of Biology Academic Excellence Awards: Sydnie Bisesi, Jessica Haas, Nathan Hoffman, Emily Leggiero and Samantha Mikos - Biology Department Outstanding Student in Major/Track Award: Molecular/Micro/Cell: Nathan Hoffman; PreMed/Health Careers: Samantha Mikos; Allied Health: Ciara Long; Marine Science/Biology: Caroline Weber; Environmental Science/Biology: Emily Leggiero - Ronald R. Rhein Biology Scholarship: Elizabeth Hoffeditz - CPUB Award: Outstanding student in Biology, usually involving research: Sydnie Bisesi - Cyrus E. Beekey Award: Outstanding Graduate in Biology: Nathan Hoffman - Outstanding Student in Biology Award: Emily Leggiero - Biology Department Research Recognition Award: Nicholas Heffelfinger

Kutztown University baseball players Gavin Moretski (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College H.S.), Ethan Martini (Trevose, Pa./Father Judge), and Jake Skrocki (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) were all named to All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division teams, as announced by the conference Tuesday afternoon. Moretski earned a first team nod as a utility player, while Martini and Skrocki were named to the second team. It's the first time since 2014 that three Golden Bears have been named to all-conference teams. It's the second All-PSAC nod in Moretski's career, with the other being a second team honor in 2021. The Harleysville, Pa. native was efficient on the bump and at the dish yet again in 2023. Moretski ended the season with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 47 in 37.1 innings pitched. His five saves are tied for the second-most in the PSAC this season and eighth-most in a season in program history. Moretski capped off his season with a 15-strikeout performance against West Chester, the third-most strikeouts in a game in program history. At the plate, Moretski batted .288, with 38 hits, 22 RBI, and three home runs. His batting average was third on KU as he played second base the majority of the campaign. It's the first All-PSAC nod for both Martini and Skrocki. Martini led KU in batting average (.333), hits (57), RBI (40), and tied the team lead in home runs (8). His 40 RBI are the 12th-most in PSAC this season while his OPS (1.003) is top 20 in the conference. Martini was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week and NCBWA Atlantic Region back on March 14 after strong performances against Chestnut Hill and Lincoln. Skrocki was the ace of the KU pitching staff all season. The right-hander from Royersford went 8-3 on the season with a 3.35 ERA, striking out 48 in 80.2 innings pitched. Skrocki is tied with Chase Nowak and Brent Francisco, both from East Stroudsburg, at the top of PSAC with eight wins. Skrocki tossed a complete game against Mansfield on April 14 in what was a 2-1 KU win and set career bests-in almost every statistical category in 2023. Despite being picked last in the PSAC East preseason coaches poll, the Golden Bears ended the season 26-19, including a 12-12 mark in PSAC East play. KU finished fifth in the East, just missing out on the PSAC Tournament due to a tiebreaker with Shippensburg.

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.

Congratulations to the following Kutztown University Department of Computer Science and Information Technology students on receiving the department's 2022-2023 Graduation Award for Academic Excellence. - Atom Roese, B.S. Computer Science - Spencer Paukstis, B.S. Information Technology - Luis Feliz, B.S. Game Development - Nathan Zolna, M.S. Computer Science (Combined B.S.)

On Wednesday, May 3, Kutztown University's Department of Communication Studies presented its annual student awards. - Outstanding Senior in Communication Studies for Academic Excellence: Avery Meiners, Perkasie, Pa. - Outstanding Achievement for a Senior in Communication Studies: Lauren Jackson, Stafford, Va., Kyle Golden, Hellertown, Pa. and Wioletta Zieba, Bethlehem, Pa. - Outstanding Senior in Communication Studies for Dedication and Service: Wesley Butler, Reading, Pa. - Outstanding Senior in Social Media Theory & Strategy for Academic Excellence: Kayla Sherry, Tamaqua, Pa. - Outstanding Achievement for a Senior in Social Media Theory & Strategy: Chloe Krempasky, Schnecksville, Pa., Emily Lynch, Fallsington, Pa., Emily Sewilo, Schnecksville, Pa. and Maggie Strawoet, Mercersburg, Pa. - Outstanding Senior in Social Media Theory & Strategy for Dedication and Service: Kaitlin Bilger, Macungie, Pa.

Six Kutztown University women's lacrosse players were voted All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division, including four to the First Team, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. Defender Cyrose Conteh (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) was named First Team along with a trio of attackers in Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and Emma Meakim (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland). Second Team honors went to attack Shannon Lake (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) and defender Robin Spector (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional). The six selections are the most for Kutztown since the program regained varsity status in 2008 and second-most all-time to a record eight picks in 1982. Conteh concludes the trio of all-conference picks that moved from the Second Team in 2022 to the First Team in 2023. The senior from Elizabethtown, Pa., is having a career year for the nationally ranked Golden Bears. In 17 games (all starts), Conteh has caused a team-high 23 turnovers, won 57 draw controls and collected 39 ground balls. Conteh also has one goal on the year. Over the course of her 51-game career, Conteh has compiled 130 draw controls (fourth in program history), 47 caused turnovers and 88 ground balls. She spent her first two seasons as an offensive midfielder, registering 26 goals and 30 points before transitioning to defense under current head coach Kristen Nicholson in 2022. ElBouazzaoui is a repeat all-conference selection after capturing a Second Team spot in 2022. The sophomore from Bridgewater, N.J., leads the Golden Bears and ranks fourth in the PSAC with a career-high 50 goals . She'd been held without a goal in just one of KU's 17 games and has 10 hat tricks to her credit, including a career-high seven goals in a win over Bloomsburg, April 19. ElBouazzaoui has fired 125 shots, second most on the team, and her 24 draw controls rank third. With three points in Kutztown's PSAC quarterfinal win over 15th-ranked East Stroudsburg, Tuesday, ElBouazzaoui surpassed 100 career points (102) in just 34 games. She's seven goals shy of 100 in her career. Graf also has two All-PSAC East honors in as many seasons and is appearing on the First Team for the first time. The dynamic midfielder sits third in the conference in draw controls with a program season record 106, third in shots with 129, fifth in goals with 49 and sixth in points with 65. Graf, a Wayne, N.J., native, has set new career-highs in goals, points, shots, draw controls, ground balls (team-high 43) and caused turnovers (21). She joins ElBouazzaoui with a team-high 10 hat tricks this season. Meakim's development has been on an upward trajectory since she arrived at Kutztown in 2021. The first-time all-conference selection is having an outstanding junior season, setting new program single-season records in assists (58) and points (81), while chipping in 23 goals, 31 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. The Hatboro, Pa., product leads the PSAC in assists and ranks second in assists per game (3.41), while ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in both categories. Meakim is also third in the league in points and points per game (4.76). She has 13 multi-assist performances in 17 games this season, including a career-high eight against Lock Haven, March 11. The Maroon and Gold have counted upon Lake to take on more of a scoring role this spring and she has delivered. The junior from Medford, N.Y., has started all 17 games on attack and heads into Friday's PSAC semifinal against Seton Hill one goal shy of her first career 40-goal season. Lake has produced 39 goals, 13 assists and 52 points, while adding 14 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. She's recorded 13 multi-goal games and has been red hot down the stretch for KU with 23 goals over her last nine games, including a career-high five at Millersville, April 22. Spector is a physical force for the Bears on the backline, where she's supplied a career-high 19 caused turnovers and 30 ground balls. The junior and two-year starter from Northfield, N.J., has also totaled five draw controls. In 42 career games, Spector has 80 ground balls and 33 caused turnovers. Kutztown's four First Team selections were second-most in the conference behind unbeaten and top-ranked West Chester's five. East Stroudsburg added three as the three teams combined for 12 of the 13 picks. Millersville defender Taiyana Goldsborough was the only player from another team to break onto the First Team. The Golden Bears were also second to West Chester in overall all-conference honorees. This year's PSAC East major award winners were West Chester's Hannah Stanislawczyk (Athlete of the Year), East Stroudsburg's Maggie Sell (Defensive Athlete of the Year), East Stroudsburg's Hannah Schiemer (Freshman of the Year) and West Chester's Ginny Martino (Coach of the Year).

KU special education majors (pictured from left to right) Hallie Page, Morgan Pierce and Rosetta Teutonico spoke on a panel along with three students from Elizabethtown College at the 11th annual District HR Exchange Conference held at Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center Thursday, April 27. The three pre-service teachers shared their perspectives on what they hope for in a future teaching position. The conference session was attended by superintendents, HR directors and other district and intermediate unit administrators in an effort to learn what factors are most likely to attract and keep prospective new teachers entering the profession.

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

Senior Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) and sophomores Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) were named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams, voted on by the league's head coaches and released Tuesday. Harvey earned a spot on the First Team, while Stocklin and Gravish are on the Second Team. It is the third All-PSAC recognition for Harvey, who was named First Team last season and Second Team in 2021. The utility/pitcher has found most of her success in 2023 at the plate, leading Kutztown in batting average (.392), slugging percentage (.615), home runs (8) and RBIs (36). Her average and HRs both rank inside the top-10 in the PSAC. Harvey has started 47-of-49 games played this season. She also boasts a winning record as a pitcher, going 6-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 26 appearances. Stocklin was voted All-PSAC for the first time in her career and is having a sophomore surge. She leads the KU lineup in hits (61) and runs scored (42), and is second in batting average (.357), starting all 50 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. Gravish has followed in the footsteps of last year's No. 1 starter, Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), admirably in her first real season of action. She has a 17-6 record with a 1.94 ERA in 31 appearances, making 17 starts and throwing 144.2 innings. Her 17 victories is tied for third in the PSAC and her ERA ranks fifth. Gravish has struck out 108 batters, tied for eighth in the PSAC, and opponents are hitting just .256 off the right-hander. Kutztown finished the regular season with a 28-22 overall record and 22-10 mark in the PSAC East. KU is the three seed and will take on the West's two seed, Mercyhurst, in its first game of the PSAC Tournament on Wednesday, May 3, at 12:30 p.m., from Veterans Park in Quakertown.

Five members of the Kutztown University wrestling team were named 2023 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) DII Scholar All-Americans. Andreo Ferraina (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth), Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg), Hunter Horton (James Creek, Pa./Tussey Mountain), Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield), and Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) were the Golden Bears tabbed for the recognition. In order to be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. The benchmark for those who qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship is a 3.25 GPA, while All-Americans had to maintain a 3.0. Wrestlers also had to have competed in four dates of competition. As a team, the Golden Bears finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, capped off by a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Super Region I Championships. Both Weinberg and Gimbor represented KU at the NCAA Division II Championship, with Weinberg earning All-American status and placing fourth at 184-pounds. That duo both earned All-PSAC nods as well. Horton, a redshirt freshman, competed at the 165 and 174-pound weight classes and finished with a 7-8 overall record, including two pins. Ferraina, also a redshirt freshman, competed at 125 and 133-pounds, finishing with a 6-4 record. Ward, a freshman, wrestled at 174 and 184-pounds, finishing his first collegiate season with a 6-6 record.

Kutztown University wrestling placed All-American Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and national qualifier Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) on 2022-23 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams. Weinberg is a repeat First Team selection after going 28-3 and placing fourth in the 184-pound weight class at the NCAA Division II Championships. The Philadelphian led Kutztown in wins, wins over nationally-ranked opponents (four), technical falls (four) and pins (14). He went a perfect 11-0 in duals, including 7-0 in PSAC matches, while racking up 52 team points for the Golden Bears. Weinberg finished runner-up at 184 in the NCAA Super Region 1 Championships, before battling back from a first round defeat at nationals to reach the consolation final and ultimately finish fourth for his first All-America honor. Gimbor, in his first year as a Golden Bear, reached the 20-win mark with a pair of victories in the NCAA DII Championships and secured a spot on the All-PSAC Third Team. The Bernville, Pa., native registered a 21-10 overall record, five pins and a team-leading five major decisions. Gimbor posted an 8-3 record in duals and went 5-2 in PSAC duals, earning 33 team points while yielding just nine. He qualified for nationals by virtue of a third-place finish in the 165-pound bracket at the Super Region 1 Championships and went on to win a preliminary round match and consolation match in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Eric Bartos of Mercyhurst claimed Athlete of the Year, while teammate Jake Niffenegger was voted Freshman of the Year. Pitt-Johnstown's Pat Pecora took home his third straight Coach of the Year honor.

Two Kutztown University student-athletes were featured on the 2022-23 All-East Coast Conference teams. Junior Chloe Sromovski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) was voted to the First Team while classmate Megan Hanaway (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township) made the Second Team. The all-conference honors are the first of both Sromovski and Hanaway's careers, and mark the first time the Golden Bears have had multiple all-conference selections since 2018. Sromovski has had another terrific season for the Maroon and Gold and is coming off her first career ECC Bowler of the Week nod yesterday. The Wilkes-Barre, Pa., native is Kutztown's workhorse, having put in 500 Baker frames and 295 traditional frames --both team-highs-- heading into this weekend's conference championship tournament. She leads all Golden Bears with a 192.5 traditional average and is second in Baker frame average at 18.71. Sromovski is also tops on the team in fill percentage, strikes, spares and makable spares in both Baker and traditional play. Sromovski is the first KU bowler to earn All-ECC First Team accolades in six years, dating back to Jenn Fitts and Angela Kozma in 2017. Hanaway is enjoying the best year of her career, having developed into a team leader for head coach Angela Reynolds. She currently leads the Bears with an 18.76 Baker frame average across 398 frames and is tied for the team lead in Baker fill percentage with Sromovski at 79.6%. Hanaway, from Forked River, N.J., also sports a 175.9 traditional average. Mercyhurst captured all three major awards with Haley Youker taking Bowler of the Year, Jenna Stretch Rookie of the Year and Micahel Machuga Coach of the Year.