Wittenberg University Student-Athletes Earn Academic Honors

Wittenberg University’s Department of Athletics can boast of a variety of outstanding team and individual athletic accomplishments during the 2011-12 school year, in addition to another stellar performance by Tiger student-athletes in the classroom.

April 17, 2012

Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University’s Department of Athletics can boast of a variety of outstanding team and individual athletic accomplishments during the 2011-12 school year, in addition to another stellar performance by Tiger student-athletes in the classroom.

Clayton Black

Clayton Black was named a 2011-12 NCAC Student-Athlete Award winner.

File Photo | Erin Pence

For starters, Clayton Black, class of 2012 from Lancaster, Ohio, and Kimmie Dyer, class of 2012 from Copley, Ohio, have earned North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Student-Athlete Awards, presented annually to Wittenberg student-athletes who perform with distinction both in the classroom and on the playing field. One male and one female student-athlete from each of the NCAC’s 10 member institutions are selected for the award annually.

Black led the Tiger men’s basketball team to a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season championship and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2012. The Tigers advanced all the way to the national quarterfinals and finished the season with a 24-7 overall record.

He earned All-Great Lakes Region honoree two straight years from d3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, in addition to back-to-back first-team All-NCAC awards in 2011 and 2012. Black topped the Tigers for a second year in a row in scoring (14.0 points per game), and he was the team leader in rebounds with 6.7 per contest after ranking second on the squad in 2010-11.

Concluding his career with 1,172 points, good for 18th in program history, Black’s 38-point performance in a 71-63 victory over Kenyon on Jan. 11 was the best for a Wittenberg player since Rod Emmons in 2003 and tied for the ninth-highest in program history. He also finished with 550 career rebounds.

Black will graduate in May with a degree in philosophy. Owner of a 3.62 grade point average, Black also is minoring in art. A third-team Academic All-District honoree in 2011, he has been an officer with WUSO 89.1-FM, the student-run campus radio station, and he previously served as editor of Pholeos, the caving club journal.

The NCAC Student-Athlete Award put a fitting final touch on Dyer’s tremendous Wittenberg career, which culminated athletically with NCAA Division III Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after she led the Tiger volleyball team to its first national championship in 2011.

Kimmie Dyer

Kimmie Dyer was named a 2011-12 NCAC Student-Athlete Award winner.

File Photo | Erin Pence

One month later, Dyer became the third Wittenberg volleyball student-athlete to earn Capital One College Division Academic All-America honors. A business major, Dyer carries a 3.74 grade point average while participating in a wide variety of extracurricular activities at Wittenberg, including the University Honors Program, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Delta Gamma Sorority.

On the court, Dyer led the Tigers to records of 37-3 overall and a perfect 16-0 in the conference while winning their 17th NCAC regular season and tournament championships. Wittenberg appeared in its 16th straight NCAA Division III Tournament (17th overall) and brought home the elusive top prize with six victories over two weeks, culminating with a 3-0 sweep of Christopher Newport on Nov. 20.

Dyer earned first-team All-NCAC honors in 2011 after topping the team in kills with 363 and ranking second in digs with 378. She also added 49 service aces to rank second on the team, and her .280 attack percentage was third-best on the team and ranked 10th in the conference. Dyer was credited with just 10 reception errors in 378 attempts during the 2011 season.

A second-team All-NCAC honoree in 2010, Dyer concluded her career with no fewer than six all-tournament team awards, including 2009 and 2010 NCAC All-Tournament team awards and culminating with regional and national NCAA Division III Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Credited with more than 900 kills and more than 1,000 digs in her collegiate career, Dyer earned first-team All-Great Lakes Region and third-team All-America honors in 2011.

In addition, 24 Wittenberg student-athletes have been selected for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, a National College Athlete Honor Society that recognizes student-athletes for their ability to excel in both academics and athletics. Nominees must have at least a 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, have earned at least one varsity letter and have achieved junior or senior academic status.

Wittenberg’s 2012 Chi Alpha Sigma inductees are:

  • Jessica Batanian, class of 2013 from Sylvania, Ohio (Volleyball)
  • Aimee Carpenter, class of 2013 from Cleveland, Ohio (Basketball)
  • Jarrett Cowgill, class of 2012 from Worthington, Ohio (Cross Country/Track)
  • Alex Cummins, class of 2012 from New Lebanon, Ohio (Tennis)
  • Melissa Gartner, class of 2013 from Cincinnati, Ohio (Soccer)
  • Trevor Grandy, class of 2013 from Dublin, Ohio (Cross Country/Track)
  • Derrick Heydinger, class of 2012 from Shelby, Ohio (Track)
  • Sven Isaacson, class of 2013 from Dalton, Ohio (Track)
  • Meredith Kirby, class of 2012 from Buffalo, NY (Soccer)
  • Rachel Leeds, class of 2012 from Bexley, Ohio (Swimming)
  • Paige Lloyd, class of 2013 from Medina, Ohio (Track)
  • Aaron Long, class of 2013 from Worthington, Ohio (Cross Country/Track)
  • Lauren McMahon, class of 2013 from Loveland, Ohio (Soccer)
  • Kellen Morrissey, class of 2013 from Aurora, Colo. (Field Hockey/Lacrosse)
  • Craig Osterbrock, class of 2013 from Wilmington, Ohio (Golf)
  • Eli Pavlatos, class of 2013 from South Charleston, Ohio (Basketball)
  • Jonny Price, class of 2013 from Dublin, Ohio (Golf)
  • Kim Replogle, class of 2013 from Houston, Ohio (Basketball)
  • Hannah Riley, class of 2012 from Minerva, Ohio (Volleyball)
  • Katharine Ritzi, class of 2013 from Beavercreek, Ohio (Swimming)
  • Miranda Sagle, class of 2012 from Springfield, Ohio (Volleyball)
  • Sarah Skidmore, class of 2013 from Troy, Ohio (Basketball)
  • Chris Stone, class of 2013 from Lebanon, Ohio (Football)
  • Kristin Wright, class of 2013 from Akron, Ohio (Tennis)

“These student-athletes embody the mission of Wittenberg and the North Coast Athletic Conference in their tremendous academic and athletic achievement,” said Assistant Director of Athletics Ali Teopas, who serves as Wittenberg’s Chi Alpha Sigma advisor. “Congratulations to each of these student-athletes for the excellence they display in the classroom and on the playing field.”

Written By: Ryan Maurer

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