SCENE Spring 2017 | Page 10

HAWK HIGHLIGHTS Fifteen RCC Athletes Earn Academic All-Conference Honors in Fall Season A DOZEN ALSO NAMED ALL-REGION HONOREES R CC student athletes are continuing a tradition of achievement off the playing field. Fifteen Hawks performed well enough in the classroom this past fall to be named Academic All-Conference by the Mid- Hudson Conference. Twelve of those same RCC student athletes gained additional Men's Soccer Team recognition, earning Academic All-Region honors from NJCAA Region XV. RCC’s volleyball team enjoyed a fine season last fall, going 12-10 and reaching the Region XV tournament. The Hawks had equally impressive results in the classroom, with more than two-thirds of the team gaining academic recognition. Women's Volleyball Team. Five volleyball players picked up both All-Region and All-Conference academic honors. Melissa McDonnell led the way by registering a perfect 4.0 GPA. Shannon Thomas added All-Region academic recognition to her accolades for her on-court performance. Thomas was MVP of the Mid-Hudson Conference and an All-Region first team selection. Thomas, a freshman, will return to RCC next season, with plans to later attend a four-year college and eventually medical school. Sara Hayward gained Academic All-Region recognition to add to All-Conference first team and All-Region honorable mention honors for her play last fall. International student Sayaka Watanabe and Nicole Polanco also exceeded the 3.25 GPA necessary for All-Region academic recognition. Kayla Roper and Zeanetta Rogers picked up Academic All- Conference honors by posting a GPA of 3.0 or better. Eight members of the RCC men’s soccer team, which reached the semifinals of the Region XV tournament and finished 6-6 overall, claimed Academic All- Conference status. Seven met the higher standard to also be named All-Region. Team co-captain Arhin Asamoah posted the highest GPA among the Hawks, followed closely by Steffen Bonneau and Niko Barbetto. All three gained All-Region status. Also earning All-Region honors: Kevin Maloney, Dylan Allum, Mark Babcock, and Jose Robles Lopez. Justin Gordon gained All-Conference recognition. With the Spring sports season getting underway, athletes from RCC’s baseball, golf and men’s tennis teams will aim to further the Hawk tradition of success both on and off the field. Last Spring, those teams combined to earn 16 Academic All-Conference awards, with 13 athletes also earning All-Region honors. Martinez’s Scoring Exploits Reap Top National Ranking In a season of multiple challenges for the RCC men’s basketball team, Kevin Martinez provided a constant source of highlight-reel material. Although the Hawks endured a difficult campaign, with a final record of 5 wins and 23 losses, Martinez lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 26.2 points per game, which ranked No. 4 in the country among NCAA Divisio