ANNVILLE, Pa. - On Tuesday morning, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced the Academic All-MAC teams for their nine sponsored winter sports for the 2018-19 season. The Falcons were well represented, with 15 student-athletes honored.
Â
The Academic All-MAC teams represent the finest group of student-athletes in the conference, with a 50-50 split of consideration for both academic (spring term GPA) and athletic prowess. In contrast to the MAC Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes all student-athletes with at term grade point average of 3.20 of greater, the Academic All-MAC teams are elected and voted upon by a representative from each institution. The Academic All-MAC teams are also comprised of student-athletes across the 17 institutions from both the MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom.
Â
See below for a snapshot of recognitions from Messiah:
Men's Basketball
Colin Sareyka…3.90 spring GPA, Criminal Justice…First Team All-MAC Commonwealth…Messiah leading scorer with (18.0 points per game)…Third leading scorer in the MAC Commonwealth…20 games with double-digit points, including career-high 38 points vs. Ursinus on Nov. 10, 2018.
Women's Basketball
Maci Thornton…3.93 spring GPA, Public Relations…First Team All-MAC Commonwealth…First Team All-Region…Honorable Mention All-American…Messiah's leading scorer with 18.2 points per game…scored double-digit points in all 30 of Messiah's games this season, including 20-plus points on 13 occasions.
Men's Swimming
Ridge Hagar…4.00 spring GPA, Sport Management…Competed in three individual finals at the MAC Championships in the 50 Free (7th place), 100 Back (4th), and 200 Back (6th).
Tyler Wilkinson…3.53 spring GPA, Nursing…MAC Rookie of the Year…Earned three individual All-MAC honors in the 500 Free (3rd place), 200 Free (2nd), and 200 Back (3rd).
Women's Swimming
Maelyn Elder…4.00 spring GPA, Math with Teaching Cert…finished second at the MAC Championships in the 400 IM while helping the 800 Free Relay team to a gold medal finish…Part of second-place 200 Medley Relay at MAC Championships.
Kaylee Hollenbach…3.74 spring GPA, Nursing…MAC Swimmer of the Year…Won the 100 Back and 200 Back at the MAC Championships while finishing second in the 200 IM…Was part of three first-place relays at the MAC Championships.
Nancie Ziegler…3.29 spring GPA, Engineering…MAC Rookie of the Year…Won the 500 Free and 200 Free at the MAC Championships while finishing second in the 1650 Free…Was part of three first-place relays at the MAC Championships.
Men's Indoor Track & Field
Caleb Christner…3.94 spring GPA, Accounting…MAC Champion in the indoor Pole Vault (4.40 meters), tying a lifetime personal best.
Caleb Puleo…3.90 spring GPA, Criminal Justice…Finished second at the Indoor Track & Field MAC Championships with 4,244 points, the fifth-highest all-time score in Messiah program history.
Benjamin Schott…3.78 spring GPA, Engineering…At the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, finished third in the 5,000 meter (15:04.47) and second in the mile (4:22.02).
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Esther Seeland…4.00 spring GPA, Engineering…All-American in the 800 meter (4th place at Nationals, 2:11.82)…MAC Rookie of the Year…Won 800 meter and mile at the Indoor Track & Field MAC Championships…Mile time of 5:01.06 was a new MAC Championship Indoor Record…Competed at Nationals on the Distance Medley Relay Team.
Ellissa Slader…3.44 spring GPA, Applied Health Sciences…Won the 200 meter (26.30) and 400 meter (59.09) at the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships…Was part of winning 4x400 meter relay team at MAC Championships…Competed at Nationals on the Distance Medley Relay Team.
Taylor Wiederrecht…3.22 spring GPA, Education Cert. Grades 4-8…All-American in the high jump (1.68 meters), finishing sixth at the National Championships…MAC Champion in the high jump…finished third at the MAC Championships in the 400 meter and was part of the winning 4x400 meter relay team at the MAC Championships.
Wresting
Victor DeFrance…3.39 spring GPA, Engineering…National Qualifier at 184 lbs…Regional Runner-Up at 184 lbs. (did not wrestle in the Championship match, due to injury)…Finished season with an overall record of 28-13.
Stephen Maloney…3.66 spring GPA, Computer & Information Science…National Qualifier at 149 lbs…Entered the National Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the weight class…finished the year with a 32-6 overall record…Regional Runner-Up at 149 lbs. (did not wrestle in the Championship match, due to injury).
