Annville, PA – Twenty Falcons were honored by Middle Atlantic Conference on Friday in their release of the 2015 Spring Academic All-MAC teams. The 20 honorees is the highest ever by any MAC-member school in the two years of the award's existence.
The All-MAC award seeks to recognize the top student-athletes in each sport across a combination of the Commonwealth and Freedom divisions. Recipients must carry at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and must be top performers in their respective sports. Unlike the conference's Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes all student-athletes with at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA, sports information directors from across all member schools vote on the Academic All-MAC Teams.
As such, the Academic All-MAC teams give special attention to student-athletes that have most impressively combined athletic proficiency and outstanding classroom performance. Each team is also, like the All-America Academic program, limited in number to reflect the sport's customary field.
The Falcons' spring recipients are listed below, with a small snapshot of their career achievements. (GPA and major listed in parentheses.)
Baseball (10 Members)Joseph Saufley (3.93 GPA, Marketing & Communications) – First Team All-Commonwealth, Third Team D3Baseball.com All Region, and CoSIDA Academic All-District. Saufley had a career year in 2015 that included a .419 batting average, a Messiah-record 17 game hit streak, and a Messiah-record tying seven triples.
Softball (10 Members)Courtney Allen (3.93 GPA, Accounting) – CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-American, NFCA All-Region, First Team All-Commonwealth. Led Messiah in batting average (.398) and RBI (37). Second on the team in runs (38) and hits (51). Also went 7-1 on the mound with a team-best 1.97 ERA and miniscule .207 batting average against.
Becky Notte (3.99 GPA, Education Dual Cert: PreK-12 & Spec. Ed.) – First Team All-Commonwealth, First Team All-Region—each for the third-straight season. Led Commonwealth catchers in every major offensive category, and was second for Messiah in doubles (14) and RBI (33). Carried an impressive .995 fielding percentage behind the dish.
Men's Golf (10 Members)Austin Galaska (3.79 GPA, Engineering) – First Team All-Commonwealth (5th place at Commonwealth Championships). Last year's Commonwealth Player of the Year, Galaska played in the top three for the Falcons all year and helped Messiah to their best-ever national finish (t-19th).
Jordan Kirsch (3.41 GPA, Business Administration) – First Team All-Commonwealth (Runner-up at Commonwealth Championships). Kirsch played as the Falcons number one golfer all year finishing with a 73.8 scoring average and helped Messiah to their second consecutive Commonwealth title and NCAA appearance.
Men's Lacrosse (12 Members)Brady Marburger (3.91 GPA, Molecular Biology) – Honorable Mention All-Commonwealth as face-off specialist. Marburger accumulated a 59.1 percent regular season face-off win percentage and led the Falcons with 54 groundballs. Helped the Falcons advance to the Commonwealth Championship game.
Tyler Goglio (3.58 GPA, Christian Ministries) – Second Team All-Commonwealth. Marburger led the Falcons in goals (25), assists (16), and points (41) en route to the Falcons earning the second seed in the Commonwealth Playoffs and a berth in the title game for the first time since 2011.
Women's Lacrosse (12 Members)Madi Brunk (3.82 GPA, Engineering) – Second Team All-Commonwealth, Commonwealth Championship MVP. Brunk was second on the Falcons with 56 points and first in assists with 35. Her 35 assists were second in the Commonwealth and she now ranks fifth in all-time assists for Messiah (78).
Molly Devilbiss (3.86 GPA, Psychology) – First Team All-Commonwealth, MAC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Devilbiss tied for the Falcons lead in ground balls (37) and was tied for second on the team in caused turnovers (18). She was heavily relied upon on clears by the Falcons.
Alexa Dipeso (3.53 GPA, Undeclared) – First Team All-Commonwealth, First Team All-Metro Region, Second Team IWLCA All-American. Ranked 13th in the nation with a 7.72 goals against average and at one point had a nine-game streak of no more than eight goals allowed.
Brooke Gamble (3.86 GPA, Business Administration) – Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Commonwealth, Second Team All-Metro Region. Consistently tasked with marking opposing team's most formidable attack. Collected 18 caused turnovers and 29 groundballs.
Claire Stikeleather (3.61 GPA, Nursing) – First Team All-Commonwealth, First Team All-Metro Region, Third Team All-American. Led Messiah is goals (43) and points (59). Now three-time All-Commonwealth in as many seasons.
Men's Tennis (10 Members)Michael Brookhart (3.83 GPA, Marketing) – MAC Scholar-Athlete for men's tennis, First Team All-Commonwealth for fourth-straight season. Former conference Rookie of the Year went 4-2 in Commonwealth as Messiah's No. 1 singles player. Finalist for Messiah's Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Peter Shuck (3.92 GPA, Mathematics) – First Team All-Commonwealth for second-straight season. Went 5-1 in the conference at No. 3 singles to help Messiah to second-straight conference championship
Women's Tennis (10 Members)Ashli Livermore (4.00 GPA, Biology) – First Team All-Commonwealth after Rookie of the Year campaign last season. Went 10-3 overall including 5-1 in conference play as Messiah's No. 1 singles' player. Also went 8-4 for Messiah at No. 1 doubles.
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (10 Members)Drew Engle (3.54 GPA, Marketing) – MAC Champion in Decathlon with 6,158 points—a mark that was, at the time, No. 12 in Division III. Narrowly missed NCAA cut and finished No. 24 in Division III in the event.
Tim Moses (3.42 GPA, Biology) – MAC Champion and record holder in the Outdoor pole vault. Finished 3rd at NCAA Outdoor Championship in the pole vault after a Runner-up finish in the Indoor event. To date is a four-time All-American in the pole vault.
Trevor Stutzman (3.70 GPA, Nutrition & Dietetics) – 2015 Outdoor Champion in shot put and Runner-up in discus. Finished 10th at NCAA Championships in shot put, and finished career as three-time All-American in the event across both Indoor and Outdoor seasons. Former CoSIDA Academic All-American and is a seven-time MAC Champion in field events. Named Messiah's Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Women's Outdoor Track & Field (12 Members)Julie Heisey (4.00 GPA, Economic Development) – 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District. Simultaneously set MAC's best 400 hurdle time and took first at Outdoor Championships. Also contributed to MAC Outdoor Runner-Up 4x400 relay team.
Marie Johnson (3.26 GPA, Nutrition & Dietetics) – MAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year set the conference's best Outdoor marks in both the high jump and triple jump this season. MAC Champion in Outdoor triple jump and Runner-up in high jump at MAC Championships. Through her sophomore season is a ten-time All-MAC performer.
