Spring Athletes Named
Academic All Stars
PHILADELPHIA-- Six Swarthmore athletes have been named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Spring Academic All-Star teams, following a vote by the Philadelphia-Area Sports Information Directors Association (Philly-SIDA).
Garnet lacrosse goalie Frank Mazzucco '08 was named Men's Lacrosse Academic Performer of the Year for the second consecutive year, and was joined by classmate Dan Sartori '08 on the men's lacrosse squad. Also being recognized in Sunday's edition of Philadelphia's largest newspaper were Connor Darby '09 (men's track & field), Kevin Kooi '09 (baseball), Cait Mullarkey '09 (women's track & field), and Rachel Wallwork '10 (women's tennis).
In order to be eligible for the All-Star team, an athlete must be of sophomore athletic standing, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better, and be a starter or key reserve. Ballots for the Academic All-Star Teams, which sponsored seven teams (men's and women's track & field, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball) this spring, were compiled and voted upon by the 28 members of Philly-SIDA.
15 Swarthmore student-athletes have been honored by the Inquirer in 2007-08: four in the fall, six in winter, and six in spring including three Performers of the Year (Mullarkey, women's soccer; Ian McCormick '08, men's basketball; Mazzucco, men's lacrosse). Mullarkey is the lone student-athlete to appear in two different sports this academic year.
Mullarkey, (Wilmington, Del. / Ursuline Academy), a Biology and Chemistry double major, ran a variety of events for the Garnet track & field team, posting times at 800 meters, 1,500 meters, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and at 5,000 meters. Mullarkey picks up her third selection as an Academic All-Star after posting NCAA provisional times in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the historic Penn Relays and again at the 800-meter race at the second annual Swat Last Chance Meet (formerly known as the Tuppeny Meet). At this year's Conference Championships she picked up a silver medal in the 800 and a bronze in the steeplechase.
Mazzucco (Redding, Conn. / Joel Barlow), graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and is headed to Vietnam to teach English, and Sartori (Darien, Conn. / Darien), who graduated with a Biology and economics double major and is working in the Children??s Hospital of Philadelphia, captained the Garnet men??s lacrosse team to its best record in 23 years, including an appearance in the E.C.A.C. Metro/South Region championship at the end of the season. The pair were four-year starters on the Swarthmore defense unit, both earning second-team all-Centennial honors in 2008. Both seniors were named Scholar All-America by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and received selections as alternates the 2008 USILA Division III North-South Senior All-Star Game.
Darby (Nashville, Tenn. / MLK Academic Magnet), a psychobiology major, is the top middle-distance runner on Swarthmore's track & field squad, having qualified for the Centennial Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 800-meter event and as part of the 4 x 400 relay squad.
Kooi (Lafayette, Calif. / Preparatory School), a Mathematics and economics double major in the Honors program, had the best season of his career in 2008, posting bests in five categories: batting average (.316), runs (13), hits (25), runs batted in (17) and stolen bases (12). He ranked first on the team in stolen bases and second for RBIs and fielding assists (66).
Wallwork (Washington, D.C. / Georgetown Day), a psychology major, was named Centennial Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Year. Wallwork posted a 17-4 record at No. 1 singles, earning a spot at the Division III NCAA Individual Championships in St. Peter, Minnesota. She was also named First-Team All-Centennial and teamed with doubles'partner Jennie Park '09 to earn the same honor in doubles. The two teamed up at No. 1 doubles to finish the regular season 9-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Centennial. Wallwork was the first player in program history to complete the Conference schedule undefeated at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.