Honor Recognizes Positive Contributions to Sport Within Conference

HADLEY, Mass. – A total of 638 student-athletes have been named to the 2012 NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team by the conference office today. To be honored, an individual must have reached sophomore academic standing and be a varsity letter winner with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.35. A transfer student must have completed one year of study at the institution.

Of the 638 student-athletes named to the team, 180 were honored for the second time in their career, while 124 were recognized for the third time. In addition, 58 members of the group garnered both All-Academic and All-Conference accolades this fall, led by 11 student-athletes from Amherst and 10 from Middlebury. A total of 48 individuals were named to both the All-Sportsmanship and All-Academic Teams by the conference.

Five individuals were selected to all three squads. That elite group included junior Emily Attwood of Middlebury (cross country), sophomore William Burchill of Trinity (golf), senior Julia Mark of Wesleyan (cross country), sophomore Jake Goldenring of Williams (golf) and senior Matt Ratjczak of Williams (men’s soccer).

The 2012 Fall All-Academic Team includes six NESCAC Players of the Year and a pair of two-time All-Americans.

Senior Keri Lambert had an impressive end to her career with the Amherst cross country team. After taking home top honors at the James Early Invitational, she won the Little Three Championship by nearly 50 seconds. Two weeks later, she finished 47 seconds ahead of the field at the NESCAC Championship. In the process, she shattered the Bowdoin course record (20:33.45) and earned NESCAC Performer of the Year accolades. Lambert went on to win the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship (20:48.94) to help the Lord Jeffs secure their twelfth consecutive trip to the National Championship. She finished third overall (21:13.0) at the national meet to secure All-America honors for the second year in a row.

Field hockey standout Lauren Greer capped off her brilliant career with another productive season for Middlebury. The captain finished the year as the national leader in goals (38) and points (90) and set school and conference records in both categories. No stranger to postseason accolades, Greer earned NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row. The 2009 Rookie of the Year garnered All-NESCAC honors for the fourth time with her third straight appointment to the First Team. Over the course of her career, she amassed 267 points on 111 goals and 45 assists. Her 3.56 points per game are the most in NCAA history. For the second year in a row, Greer was named NFHCA New England West Region Player of the Year and earned First Team All-America honors.

Bowdoin’s Brooke Phinney earned NESCAC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year honors after an impressive senior season. The veteran spearheaded a defensive unit that surrendered just 16 goals in 20 games. A two-time All-NESCAC selection, Phinney was named to the First Team this fall after earning Second Team honors in 2011. Though the majority of her work was done at the defensive end of the field, she also proved to be a dangerous offensive weapon for the Polar Bears. The year, she scored 13 goals and added nine assists en route to earning NFHCA First Team All-America honors.

Senior Caitlin Barrett led the Middlebury volleyball team to its second NESCAC title in three years. The libero was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year after piling up a league-best 5.01 digs per set. A Second Team selection a year ago, she earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2012. Barrett boasted a .949 reception percentage, with just 25 errors on 489 attempts throughout the NESCAC Championship. The senior earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from the AVCA for the second straight season.

After leading his team to a first place finish at the NESCAC Golf Qualifier this fall, Trinity’s Greg Palmer was named NESCAC Player of the Year. The sophomore earned medalist honors at the event with a two-day score of 147. He finished day one tied with four others in fifth place (76) before firing a tournament-best 71 (-1) in the second round. Palmer competed in every tournament for the Bantams, finishing his breakout season with a 76.8 scoring average. He owned the teams only subpar round (NESCAC Qualifier) and recorded an 11th place individual finish at the Connecticut Cup.

Laura Kurash became the first women’s soccer player in Wesleyan history to earn NESCAC Player of the Year honors after leading the league with nine goals in her senior campaign. Kurash accounted for three game-winners and also scored in her team’s shocking 2-0 victory over top seeded Middlebury in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC Championship. Kurash was named to the All-NESCAC First Team for the third consecutive season after earning Second Team and Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.

Founded in 1971, the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) consists of 11 liberal arts colleges and has consistently reflected its commitment to the values of athletics and academic achievement. The member colleges of the conference are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.

Outside Photo © Kevin Morris Photographer

2012 NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team