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Date: Thursday, April 6, 2000

THIRTEEN WINTER STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN ACADEMIC ALL-NESCAC

Thirteen student-athletes at Tufts University were recently named to the 1999-2000 Winter Academic All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Teams. The honored athletes must be sophomores or older that with grade point averages of 3.2 or higher and who have made significant contributions to their team.

Two of the players who led the men’s basketball team to the ECAC New England Division III Championship were selected to represent Tufts on the NESCAC All-Academic Team. Both senior Paul Smith (Decatur, GA/Paideia School) and junior Fred Pedroletti (Miami, FL/Gulliver Prep) were major factors in the team’s success this year. Smith finished the season averaging 11.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. An art history major, the 6’4" forward also led the Jumbos with the 37 three-point shots made. Pedroletti was named to the NESCAC All-Star Second Team this season after averaging 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. An economics major, Pedroletti was also the team’s leading free throw shooter at 75.9 percent.

Two members of the women’s basketball team that posted its best record (15-8) since 1992 have also been selected to the All-Academic Team. Senior co-captain Molly Baker (Northfield, MA/Pioneer Valley) averaged 12.3 points per game and was the team’s leading rebounder averaging 9.4 per game. A 5’11" forward, Baker was the leading scorer in six games this season and had ten double-doubles. Junior point guard Shira Fishman (Silver Spring, MD) led the Jumbos on offense and defense with a team-high 92 assists and 77 steals. She also averaged 3.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Senior forwards Drew Carleton (Shaker Heights, OH/University School) and Scott Sullivan (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) were named to the All-Academic team for Ice Hockey, which finished 13-10-1 and advance to the ECAC Playoff semi-finals. Captain Carleton, an Economics major, was the season scoring leader for the Jumbos with 41 points on 28 goals and 13 assists. He was named to the ECAC Northeast and New England Hockey Writers All-Star Teams. A double major in Economics and Political science, Sullivan was right behind with 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points. The assistant captain had at least one point in 21 of the team’s 24 games.

Two members of the Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, which placed fourth at the New England Division III Championship Meet, have also been selected from Tufts. Senior Political Science major Jack Levner (Bethesda, MD) was selected for his performance in the backstroke. At the New England Championships, Levner, a tri-captain, placed 12^th in the 50- yard Backstroke (25.63), 19^th in the 100 Back (55.39) and 16^th in the 200 Back (2:00.40). Junior Nic Anderson (Sherborn, MA), a Psychology major, was chosen for his performance as a freestyle swimmer. Anderson was seventh in the 100 Butterfly (52.66), ninth in the 200 Butterfly (1:59.41) and was member of the third-place 400 Freestyle Relay team (3:10.29) and fourth-place 200 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay teams at New Englands.

Seniors Lisa Bologna (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) and Lisa Vernoy (Vista,CA/Rancho Buena Vista) were selected to the All-Academic Team for Women’s Swimming and Diving (10^th at New Englands). The pair swam together in the 800-yard Freestyle Relay that placed seventh at the New England Division III Championships (8:13.14). Bologna, an English major, also placed 14^th with the 200 Medley Relay (1:58.34). Vernoy, the team’s co-captain and a double major in Psychology and English, placed sixth in the 500 Freestyle (5:17.70), the 200 Freestyle (1:58.93) and in the 100 Individual Medley (1:03.53). She was also ninth with two relay teams.

In squash, Omar Malik (West Seneca, NY/Nichols) of the men’s team and Zaina Al-Awadi (Spencer, MA/Bayan) and Anne Montesano (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) from the women’s team, were selected from Tufts to the All-Academic team. Malik, the team’s co-captain, was 4-9 in match play this season. At the NIRSA Team Championships, Malik, a senior majoring in International Relations, was 1-3 in Tufts’ Division matches and finished the season as the team’s seventh string player. Al-Awadi, a senior co-captain, finished her season as the team’s second string player, with an overall record of 14-11, including an 8-2 record in tournament play. At the Howe Cup at Yale University, Al-Awadi won in all three of her matches. Montesano, a sophomore, was 1-3 at the Howe Cup. She finished the season as the team’s fourth string player. She has a record of 5-18 overall and a record of 2-6 in tournament play.