Eight 'Cats Receive America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award

BOSTON – Eight University of New Hampshire student-athletes have been named recipients of an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award for their outstanding academic achievement through their collegiate careers, the conference announced Wednesday.

Tessa Artruc (Livonia, N.Y.) and Shannon Stang (Medford, N.J.) of women's cross country and track & field, Emily Wernig (Gilford, N.H.) of women's track & field, Nicholas Ritzo (Rye, N.H.) and Alex Tamulonis (Mason, N.H.) of men's track & field, Brittany Marshall (Hopkinton, N.H.) of field hockey, Mia Neas (Old Saybrook, Conn.) of women's soccer and Lizzie Suschana (Somers, Conn.) of women's lacrosse are the eight distinguished Wildcats.

All eight Wildcats are two-time inductees into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Athletic Honor Society (2017 & 2018).

The Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes graduating student-athletes who compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher as an undergraduate, received an undergraduate degree this spring and have attended their institution a minimum of two years.

Artruc, who earned an Environmental Engineering: Municipal Process degree with a 3.77 cumulative GPA, was mult-faceted in track & field, where she competed in the high jump and sprints, ranging from the 4x100-meter relay to the 400m dash. At this month's America East Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships, she placed seventh in the high jump and ran a leg of the fifth place 4x400m relay.

Marshall, who compiled a 3.88 cumulative GPA while earning a Mechanical Engineering degree, was honored as the America East Elite 18 recipient as a senior and was voted to the America East All-Academic Team as a junior. Marshall has been named to both the NFHCA National All-Academic Squad and America East Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years.

Neas, who has a 3.89 cumulative GPA and an Occupational Therapy degree, has also made the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years. Her other 2017-18 academic accolades included CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, All-East Region Scholar First Team, America East Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and America East All-Academic Team. In her first year as the women's soccer starting goalkeeper, Neas was honored as America East Goalkeeper of the Year, All-East Region Third Team and NEWISA All-New England First Team in '17.

Ritzo, who received a Genetics degree with a 3.94 cumulative GPA, scored in three events at the 2018 America East Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships with sixth place in the shot put, seventh in the discus and eighth in the javelin; last year as a junior, he was second in the shot put and third in the discus. At the 2018 conference indoor meet, Ritzo placed third in the shot put.

Stang, who received a degree in Environmental Engineering: Municipal Processes with a 3.79 cumulative GPA, was a three-time letterwinner in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field who has been named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll numerous of times.

Suschana, who posted a 3.79 cumulative GPA and earned a Nutritional Sciences degree, was voted to the America East All-Academic Team as a senior and has made the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll every year. As captain of the women's lacrosse team in 2018, Suschana started all 17 games and ranked second on the team in both ground balls and caused turnovers.

Tamulonis, who earned a Biomedical Science: Med Lab Science degree with a 3.78 cumulative GPA, scored in the pole vault in 6 of 8 America East track meets through his career; that included third place in the 2015 indoor meet as a freshman and third place in the 2018 outdoor meet as a senior. Tamulonis also placed fourth at the 2016 outdoor meet and 2018 indoor meet.

Wernig, who received a degree in Fine Arts with a 3.88 cumulative GPA, had a personal-best mark of 172 feet, 2 inches in the hammer throw to take third place at the 2018 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championship. One week later, Wernig placed fifth in the discus at the New England championships. She took first place in the discus at both home meets this spring. At the 2016 conference meet, she was the discus champion with a throw of 148-1.

This award was approved by the America East Board of Presidents in June 2013 and implemented in the 2013-14 academic year. In total, 284 elite student-athletes have been honored as part of the program, including a high of 77 this year.

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