Date: January 2, 2003
Contact: Brian Laubscher (540) 463-8676
Release: Upon Receipt

ONE-HUNDRED FIFTEEN W&L STUDENTS EARN SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
Twelve Attain a 4.0 or Higher Grade-Point Average for the Fall Semester

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Washington and Lee Director of Athletics Mike Walsh has announced that 115 students earned Scholar-Athlete awards during the recently completed fall term. The students are all members of W&L athletic teams and achieved a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.500.

Additionally, 12 of the students honored achieved grade-point averages of 4.0 or higher (an A+ is worth 4.330 at W&L). Among the students achieving 4.0 or higher GPA's were freshman men's tennis player Charles Anderson (Brentwood, Tenn./Montgomery Bell), junior women's soccer and basketball player Heather Coleman (Blackwood, N.J./Triton Regional), sophomore All-America women's tennis player Lindsay Hagerman (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park), freshman women's tennis player Stephanie Hannon (Gastonia, N.C./Charlotte Latin), junior All-ODAC men's tennis player Austin Kim (Richmond, Va./Clover Hill), junior men's tennis player Seth Martin (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Radnor), senior Academic All-America football player John Melillo (Forney, Texas/Belle Plaine), senior men's tennis player Chris Sorenson (Glen Cove, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran), sophomore golfer Carlos Spaht (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal), senior men's cross country captain Will Teichman (High Point, N.C./T. Wingate Andrews), senior Academic All-America football player Jay Thomas (Houston, Texas/Kincaid) and junior baseball player Mike Wert (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny).

Other notable athletes to receive Scholar-Athlete awards included senior All-ODAC women's lacrosse player Leslie Bogart (Wilton, Conn./Wilton), senior All-ODAC golfer Chip Campbell (Memphis, Tenn./Memphis Univ. School), junior All-ODAC women's soccer player Meghan Hayde (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony), junior All-America women's lacrosse player Joanna Perini (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington), senior All-America women's tennis player Erika Proko (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day), senior All-America football player Mat Rapoza (Kill Devil Hills, N.C./Manteo), junior All-America swimmer Eric Ritter (Birmingham, Ala./Mountain Brook), senior All-America football player and track athlete Chris Sullivan (San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Heights) and ODAC women's soccer Rookie of the Year Gina Von Sternberg (Houston, Texas/Episcopal).

Twenty-two of W&L's 23 varsity athletic programs achieved a team GPA of at least 3.000, led by the golf team with a 3.339. The highest women's team GPA was the women's tennis team with a 3.314 and no team recorded a GPA lower than 2.988.

W&L had an outstanding fall season on the playing fields as well. W&L's nine fall sports teams combined for a record of 72-33-5 (.677) with volleyball and women's soccer both advancing to the NCAA South Region Semifinals.

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