Saint Francis’ Foisy and Suravicz Named 2006 Valley National Bank Spring Scholar-Athletes
LORETTO, Pa. (June 14, 2006) – Saint Francis University sophomore men’s golfer Steve Foisy (Repentigny, Quebec/Academy Les Estacades) and senior track & field participant A.J. Suravicz (Ashley, Pa./Hanover) are two of the nine athletes that comprise the 2006 Valley National Bank Spring Scholar-Athlete award winners, which were announced on Wednesday by the Northeast Conference.
In addition to the Scholar-Athletes, the Northeast Conference also announced its spring Academic Honor Roll, consisting of 384 student-athletes, including 41 from Saint Francis.
For the year, Saint Francis University garnered five recipients of the Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete award program, more than any other school in the Northeast Conference. Central Connecticut State, Monmouth, Mount Saint Mary’s and Quinnipiac had three recipients each on the year.
Foisy and Suravicz joined fellow Red Flash student-athletes Ryan Sheehan (Men’s Cross Country), Luke Palko (Football), and Patrick Quinn (Men’s Indoor Track) as awardees this season.
All Scholar-Athlete award winners must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours, maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team.
Foisy earns the Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete award in men’s golf. Foisy helped lead the Red Flash to their first-ever conference crown by winning the individual title at the 2006 NEC Championships in May. He fired a 148 (72-76) over the 36-hole tournament to walk away with a two-stroke victory. A two-time NEC Golfer-of-the-Week this past season, Foisy also finished first at the IUP Invitational, third at the Colgate Invitational and fifth at the Mount St. Mary’s Fall Classic. The Repentigny, Quebec native had a season stroke average of 75.1, which ranked second in the NEC. An Accounting major, Foisy maintains a 3.57 grade-point-average.
Suravicz becomes the fifth Red Flash runner in the past six years to take home the Valley National Bank Scholar-Athlete prize in men’s outdoor track and field. Competing in his final conference meet, Suravicz won the 1,500 meters (3:57.59) and ran the anchor leg on the Red Flash’s first-place 4x800 meter relay team (8:04.35) at the 2006 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May. He also took second in the 800 meters (1:53.02) and fourth as part of the 4x400 meter relay team (3:17.78) to help boost Saint Francis to a second-place finish at the event. The Ashley, Pa. native concluded his career as a five-time individual NEC champion in indoor and outdoor track and field, and ran on three first-place relay teams. Suravicz, who graduated cum laude in May, 2005, with a degree in Economics and Finance, is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Adminstration. His grade point average currently stands at 3.54.
2006 Valley National Bank Spring Scholar-Athletes
Sport Name School GPA Major
Baseball Ryan Rizzo Quinnipiac 3.84 Economics
Men’s Golf Steve Foisy Saint Francis 3.57 Accounting
Women’s Golf Rae Johnson Monmouth 3.57 Business Finance
Women’s Lacrosse Vanessa Miranda Quinnipiac 3.70 Finance
Softball Joy Gallagher Wagner 3.88 Chemistry
Men’s Tennis Jeff Lamberton Mount St. Mary’s 3.55 Accounting
Women’s Tennis Jessica Loose Long Island 3.49 Media Arts
Men’s Track & Field A.J. Suravicz Saint Francis 3.54 Business Administration
Women’s Track & Field Mandy Jenkins Mount St. Mary’s 3.94 Biochemistry & Chem.