| Stephanie Sullivan |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 16, 2007 ?C Men??s swimmer Daniel Kaiserian and women??s gymnast Stephanie Sullivan have been selected the recipients of Penn State??s 2007 Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award.
Kaiserian and Sullivan were recognized during the University's annual Student Awards Ceremony on Sunday. In addition, standout linebacker Paul Posluszny was presented the Eric A. Walker Award.
The McCoy Award is presented annually to one senior male and one senior female student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. The award is named for Ernest B. McCoy, who was Penn State's Athletic Director and Dean of the College of Physical Education from 1952-70. His name adorns the Penn State natatorium.
Kaiserian was one of the top freestyle sprinters for the men's swimming team, with the top team times in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle this season. The Bryn Mawr, Pa. native finished 13th in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free at the 2007 Big Ten Championships.
A senior majoring in mechanical engineering, Kaiserian qualified for three events at the 2007 NCAA Championships. He swam a :44.77 in the 100 free and was a member of Penn State??s 200 free and 200 medley relay teams.
Sullivan, who anchors Penn State??s balance beam competitors, has been named Academic All-Big Ten and an NACGC/W Scholar Athlete. A native of Gaithersburg, Md., Sullivan competed in every meet of the 2007 season on the balance beam and captured first place five times. In the Feb. 3 meet at West Virginia, she scored a career-best 9.925 and was the Ann Carr Award winner for the most inspirational gymnast of the meet in the Lions?? contest versus Pittsburgh on Feb. 10.
A senior majoring in life science, Sullivan earned second team All-Big Ten honors this season and finished eighth on beam at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, helping the Nittany Lions to a second place finish. At last Saturday??s NCAA Regional in Denver, Sullivan further demonstrated her skills and versatility by competing on the uneven bars for the first time this season and scoring a 9.750.
The University presented Paul Posluszny with the Walker Award, given to the student who has contributed most to enhancing the reputation of the University through extracurricular activities. The Walker Award is given in honor of former President Eric Walker, who held that position at Penn State from 1956 to 1970
Posluszny graduated with a degree in finance and a 3.54 cumulative grade-point average in December, and in his four years as a linebacker for the Nittany Lion football team established himself as one of the all-time greats to play the position for Coach Joe Paterno. He is the Nittany Lions' all-time tackle leader with 372.
A two-time first-team All-American for his play on the field, Posluszny also was a two-time first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and was selected the 2006 Academic All-American of the Year among Division I football players. He is one of only two players to win the Bednarik Award, which recognizes the nation's best defensive football player, twice.
The 2005 Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker, Posluszny also was a finalist for the 2006 Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Awards and the Lott Trophy. A 2006 Associated Press and Walter Camp Football Foundation first team All-American, Posluszny joined Dennis Onkotz (1968-69), Shane Conlan (1985-86) and LaVar Arrington (1998-99) as Nittany Lion linebackers that have earned first-team All-America accolades twice. He is one of six Nittany Lions to receive All-Big Ten honors three times. He was also named team co-captain as a junior and a senior and, in 2005, was the first junior to serve as a captain since 1968.