May 10, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Distance runner Jessica Babcock (Irvine, Calif.) and football All-American and Academic All-American Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville) have been selected the recipients of Penn State's 2011 Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Awards.
Babcock and Wisniewski were recognized during the University's annual Student Awards Ceremony, as was women's lacrosse student-athlete Katy Wick, who was named one of five recipients of the University's John W. Oswald 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.
Wisniewski is among the most distinguished Penn State Football student-athletes in the program's 125-year history. He was the first Nittany Lion Football student-athlete to be selected a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American®, earning first team honors from 2009 and 2010. He finished second in balloting for the 2010 Academic All-American® of the Year in college football. Wisniewski finished with a 3.90 cumulative grade point average, earning his degree in secondary education this past December.
Wisniewski gained six All-America recognitions following the 2010 season, earning first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Scout.com
He also was named a prestigious National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete and to the AFCA Good Works Team.
A starter in 38 of the last 39 games of his stellar career, Wisniewski earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2009 and 2010. The former Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School standout became the first Nittany Lion to earn first team All-America and Academic All-America® accolades in the same season since another former Western Pennsylvania standout, linebacker Paul Posluszny (2005 and '06).
In the 2011 National Football League Draft, Wisniewski was the No. 48 overall selection (second round) by the Oakland Raiders.
An graduate in elementary and kindergarten education graduate, Babcock was a four-year letterwinner on the Nittany Lion women's track and field and cross country teams. She completed her Penn State academic career with a 3.91 cumulative grade point average.
Jessica Babcock |
A standout on the track and the cross country course, Babcock was a member of the Nittany Lions' Big Ten Outdoor Championship track and field teams in 2009 and 2010. She also competed for Penn State during the women's indoor conference title run in 2010. Babcock earned her highest conference finish during the 2010 indoor season, scoring an eighth-place effort in the 3,000-meter run - in a personal-best 9:37.65 - at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Babcock was a multiple-time member of the Dean's List, as well as a multiple Big Ten All-Academic honoree. The Woodbridge High School product also a recipient of the prestigious Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award in 2009-10, via a perfect 4.0 GPA in her final semester. The award honors student-athletes who have earned a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher during the academic year.
Wick earned one of five Oswald leadership awards given annually to graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity at the University. The Oswald Award is named for John W. Oswald, president of the University from 1970 to 1983.
A four-year member of the women¹s lacrosse team, Wick saw action in 53 games throughout her career, coming to Happy Valley as an attacking player before making the successful transition to defense following her sophomore year. As a senior in 2011, the Winter Springs, Fla. native started 17 games, contributing to a defensive unit that ranked among the best in the American Lacrosse Conference.
Also a standout in the classroom, Wick, an advertising and public relations major, has been named to the Dean¹s List every semester at Penn State. She is a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipient and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Active on campus, she is a member of the Athletic Director's Leadership Institute and is the vice president of the Student Athletic Advisory Board (SAAB), serving as the Penn State representative at Big Ten and NCAA meetings.
Titus Ivory (men's basketball), Mike DeRenzo (baseball) and Zack Mills (football) are among the Penn State student-athletes who have been Oswald Award recipients during the past decade.