UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – After helping the Penn State men's lacrosse team to its first NCAA Semifinal in program history, seniors Chris Sabia and Nick Spillane were recognized for their success in the classroom by being named 2019 USILA/Warrior and New Balance Division I Scholar All-Americans.
Sabia adds the honor to his collection of postseason awards. A first-team All-American by USILA and a second-team All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Sabia was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten honoree. He was also one of five athletes on the first team for the Senior CLASS Award. He picked up 39 ground balls as a senior and caused a team-best 22 turnovers in his role as the Nittany Lions top lock-down defender. Sabia ended his PSU career with 69 caused turnovers, 112 ground balls, eight goals and an assist in 62 starts.
In the classroom, Sabia graduated in May with a degree in labor and employment relations with a 3.13 GPA. He also earned a business minor. The Harleysville, Pennsylvania native is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Spillane picked up his third All-American honor this year. He was named a USILA second-team All-American and an Inside Lacrosse third-team All-American. Part of a dynamic offensive attack, Spillane finished fourth on the team with 53 points, including 27 goals, posting career highs in both stats. He added 24 ground balls and five caused turnovers. He was also Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Spillane graduated in May with a Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management degree with a 3.06 GPA. The New York native is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Jeff Tambroni, were the Big Ten regular season and tournament champions, both firsts for the program. PSU finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation after going 16-2. Penn State set program records for wins and goals (323), while averaging 17.94 goals per game.
