Centerville, MA – Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Commissioner Dr. Kevin T. McGinniss announced today that Ryan Kramer (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) of The Sage Colleges and Mary Elizabeth McCulloch of Pennsylvania State Altoona University have been named the 2013 Robbins/ECAC Division III Scholar-Athlete Award winners. Kramer and McCulloch will be recognized at the 2013 ECAC Honors dinner held in conjunction with the 25th Annual ECAC Convention and Trade Show that will be held September 29-October 1 at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Mass. The Honors Dinner is on Sunday, September 29 at 6:30pm.
The ECAC Scholar-Athlete Awards honors the outstanding academic and athletic achievements of student-athletes representing ECAC schools in Division I, II and III. One male and one female athlete from each division are selected based on extraordinary achievements in academics, athletics and community service. The candidate must have earned a cumulative minimum overall GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and must have reached sophomore athletics and academic status (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and ineligible athletics transfers are not eligible). The candidate must be a starter or significant reserve in a particular sport and must compete in a least 50 percent of the contests in that sport and other factors such as community service, exemplary citizenship or other extracurricular activities are taken into consideration.
Kramer, the 2013 Division III Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year led The Sage Colleges’ Men’s Volleyball team to the 2013 ECAC Division III North Championship and a berth in the 2013 Skyline Conference title game. He finished his season season with a total of 137 kills and 72 blocks. In his career, Kramer ranks in the top ten in Sage College history in kills (227, No. 8), solo blocks (14, No. 7), block assists (79, No. 4), total blocks (93, No. 5), points (283.5, No. 8) and matches played (59, No. 7). As a team, the Gators set a program record for wins in 2013 with 30 and ranked fifth in NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball winning percentage (.811).
"I am honored to have been selected by the ECAC as the 2013 Division III Male Scholar Athlete of the Year,” Kramer said. “This recognition is evidence of the unwavering support I have received from my family, school, coaches, teammates, and professors."
Head Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Coach at Sage, Sandy Augstein-Collins said of Ryan, “I am thrilled for Ryan on his selection as the ECAC Male Scholar-Athlete.” Augstein-Collings added, “He is so deserving of this award. His work ethic in the classroom and on the court is second to none.”
In the classroom, Kramer became the first Gator to garner CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America honors, as he was named to the 2013 Men’s At-Large First Team. He graduated in May with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Physical Education, earning the valedictorian distinction at Sage’s commencement. Kramer was twice named to the Skyline Conference Scholar-Athlete Team, a two-time Sage Scholar-Athlete honoree and a member of the Sage Athletic Honor Society. He was recognized for his academic achievements by The Sage Colleges with the inaugural Dean Sharon Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award as the senior male student-athlete with the highest grade point average.
"Ryan is the perfect example of a Division III student-athlete. He is focused and determined on the court. Off the court, he is a scholar, teacher and gentleman,” said Danielle Drews, Director of Athletics and Recreation at The Sage Colleges. “He was a joy to have in our program and we look forward to watching his success now that he has moved on."
Augstein-Collins added, “It has been my pleasure to watch him develop his skills as an athlete. He was an absolute joy to coach in our program and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”