GRANTHAM, Pa. - Messiah College Athletics announced this week the finalists for the 2018-19 Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. A male and female student-athlete from each season was selected as a finalist, and an overall male and female winner will be named at the conclusion of the 2019 spring season.
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Nominees are collected from head coaches and must carry at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA) while proving to be an outstanding performer in their respective sport.
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The six finalists are listed below along with a brief snapshot of their profile. Finalists are listed in order of the sport seasons.
Men's Finalists
Samuel Ruiz Plaza - Soccer (Fall) - Ruiz Plaza carries a 3.67 cumulative GPA as a Biology major. He helped the Falcons to the Elite Eight and an overall record of 19-1-3 during the 2018 season. Last season, Ruiz Plaza played a key part in controlling the midfield for the Falcons as they claimed the 11th National Championship in program history. He collected 11 goals and five assists in his career while being named First Team All-America (2018), First Team All-Region (2018), and two All-MAC Commonwealth honors (2017 and 2018). He was also named First Team USC Academic All-American in 2018.
Matthew Darok - Wrestling (Winter) - Darok carries a 3.99 cumulative GPA as a Biology major. He owns an 11-6 record at 141 lbs. this season and an overall career mark of 38-43 with three falls. Last season, Darok took fifth at the MAC Championships and this year has picked up 18 takedowns, 11 reversals, 27 nearfalls, and 20 escapes.
Tyler McFeaters - Men's Track & Field/Cross Country (Spring) - McFeaters carries a 3.81 cumulative GPA as a Biology and Environmental Science double major. A cross country and distance runner for Messiah, McFeaters helped the Falcons to their second-straight MAC Championship in cross country this season with a Second Team finish (11th) at the Conference championship. Additionally, he earned All-Region honors with a 34th-place finish at the NCAA Regional meet two weeks later. His track and field accolades include three outdoor All-Conference honors in the 3000m Steeplechase, the 4x800m Relay, and the 800m run. McFeaters has claimed four All-Conference indoor track and field honors with First Team accolades in both the 4x800m and the Distance Medley Relays in each of the last two years.
Women's Finalists
Shayna Landis - Field Hockey (Fall) - Landis carries a 3.93 cumulative GPA as a Spanish Business major. This season Landis helped the Messiah field hockey team to the Elite Eight for the third-straight season and an overall record of 20-1. As a key member of the Falcons' defense, Landis and company allowed just 14 goals in 21 contests for a 0.67 goals against average, eighth-best mark in the country. In her career Landis has a long list of accomplishments that are highlighted by two All-American honors ('17 and '18), two All-Region accolades ('17 and '18), two MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year nods ('17 and '18), and three All-MAC Commonwealth laurels ('15, '17, and '18).
Alecia Rohrer - Basketball (Winter) - Rohrer carries a 3.80 cumulative GPA as a Criminal Justice major. Rohrer currently leads the Falcons to a 10-1 overall record and a perfect, 4-0 mark in the MAC Commonwealth through the early portion of the 2018-19 season. Rohrer is averaging a double-double with 17.5 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Earlier this season, she became the 22nd member of the Messiah women's basketball's 1,000th career point. Through her junior season, her career honors include, D3Hoops.com All-Region (17-18), three-time All-MAC Commonwealth (15-16, 16-17, and 17-18), and MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year (15-16).
Erin Cressman - Softball (Spring) - Cressman carries a 3.72 cumulative GPA as an engineering major. During her three years with the Falcons, Cressman has helped the Falcons to the NCAA three times, claim two MAC Commonwealth titles, and an overall record of 109-34. Cressman broke the school record for career home runs last season and currently has 31 through three seasons in Grantham. A 2018 First Team All-American, Cressman has been named a First Team All-Region and All-MAC Commonwealth in each of her first three seasons in Grantham. In the last two seasons, Cressman was included on the 25-person National Player of the Year watch list.
