ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Thursday morning, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced their 2021-22 Winter Academic All-MAC teams. Among the 92 total student-athletes honored across the conference were 11 Messiah representatives.
The Winter Academic All-MAC teams recognize the top student-athletes both in the classroom and in athletic competition during the 2022 spring semester. The MAC sports information directors nominate and vote on the Academic All-MAC teams, giving 50 percent weight on both academic success and athletic success. A student-athlete must have a spring semester grade-point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher to be eligible for the award. There is only one team that includes all student-athletes across the MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom.
Nine winter sports were included in Thursday's release, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's indoor track & field and wrestling.
In the seven sports that Messiah sponsors, the Falcons had representatives in six different sports. Women's swimming was where the Falcons shined with five honorees among the 11 student-athletes celebrated.
See below for a full list of Messiah student-athletes honored:
Women's Basketball
Leah Springer – Gr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership - D3hoops.com Regional Player of the Year…WBCA All-American Honorable Mention…D3hoops.com Second Team All-American…First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American…MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year…Appeared in 26 games for Messiah, averaged 17.5 pts, 11.1 reb, 3.5 ast, 1.7 stl and 0.9 blk per game.
Men's Indoor Track and Field
Logan Horst – Jr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Civil Engineering - At MAC Championships: Won the Mile (4:21.54), won the 3000 Meter (8:45.17), and won the 5000 Meter (15:26.64)…Earned All-Region honors in the 5000 Meter.
Women's Indoor Track and Field
Esther Seeland – Sr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Biomedical Engineering - National Champion in 800 Meter…All-American in 3000 Meter…USTFCCCA Co-Regional Athlete of the Year…Claimed three MAC Championships and was named the MAC Track Athlete of the Year, winning the Mile (5:14.88), 400 Meter (58.74), and the 800 Meter (2:11.81)…Her 800 Meter time was a new MAC Indoor Championship Record…At the Indoor National Championship, Seeland set a new NCAA Indoor Championship Record with a time of 2:05.75, breaking a 35-year old record…Holds the top four marks on a 200 Meter track in the 800 Meter in NCAA DIII history.
Men's Swimming
PJ Cronauer – Fr. – 3.68 spring GPA, Mechanical Engineering – At MAC Championships: First place in the 1650 yard freestyle (16.39.64)…Earned team top times in the 500 Free (4:49.95), 1000 Free (10:01.70), 200 Fly (2:02.96) this season.
Women's Swimming
Katelyn Boyce – Jr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Biology - At MAC Championships: First Team 400 IM (4:46.93).
Erin Goudie – Fr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Education Cert. Grades PreK-4 - At MAC Championships: First Team 400 Medley Relay (4:00.97), Second Team 100 Butterfly (58.31), Third Team 200 Medley Relay (1:50.72), Third Team 200 Free Relay (1:41.43), and Third Team 200 Butterfly (2:11.78).
Lauren Mock – Fr. – 4.00 spring GPA, English - At MAC Championships: First Team 200 Free (1:57.95), First Team 400 Medley Relay (4:00.97), and First Team 800 Free Relay (7:54.74).
Abigail Soerens – So. – 3.87 spring GPA, Biology w/ Teaching Cert. - At MAC Championships: First Team 400 Medley relay (4:00.97), First Team 400 Free Relay (3:38.97), Second Team 100 Breast (1:07.13), Third Team 200 Medley Relay (1:50.72), Third Team 200 Free Relay (1:41.43), and Third Team 200 Breast (2:28.37).
Nancie Ziegler – Sr. – 4.00 spring GPA, Biopsychology - At MAC Championships: First Team in the 800 Free Relay (7:54.74), First Team 1650 Free (18:07.05), Third Team 500 Free (5:14.85).
Wrestling
Nick Barnhart – Jr. – 3.46 spring GPA, Actuarial Science – Qualified for Nationals at 157 lbs…Finished as MAC Champion and NCAA Regional Runner-Up at 157 lbs… Finished the year with a 34-6 overall record with 18 falls. In 40 matches, had 60 takedowns, 16 nearfalls, 18 reversals, and 33 escapes.
Josiah Gehr – Sr. – 3.37 spring GPA, Applied Health Science - Finished as an All-American at 141 lbs…Runner-up finishes at the NCAA Regionals and MAC Championships… Finished the season with a 36-6 overall record with 15 falls. 63 takedowns, 52 nearfalls, 23 reversals, and 21 escapes on the season.
