Three Pirates Net BIG EAST Sports Excellence Awards
7/26/2018 8:47:00 AM | Baseball, Men's Swimming and Diving, Softball
NEW YORK – Three Seton Hall student-athletes, baseball's Rob Dadona (Staten Island, N.Y.), softball's Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas) and men's swimmer Noah Yanchulis (Arnold, Md.), were named 2017-18 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sports Excellence Award recipients on Tuesday.
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete in each BIG EAST-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council.
Dadona was one of the truly "feel-good" stories of the 2018 baseball season for the Pirates. After spending three years as a part-time player, he blossomed as Seton Hall's everyday second baseman as a senior. Named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on April 24, he led The Hall, and ranked ninth in the BIG EAST Conference with a .323 batting average. Dadona ranked second on the team with 18 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI contests this season. He also has a career-highs with three home runs, 21 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 15 walks. For his efforts on the field, he was named Seton Hall's Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. In the classroom, Dadona has maintained an impressive 3.70 grade point average and is a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star. An Academic Merit Award recipient, he was also named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District 2 Team.
Walkden capped one of the most decorated careers ever for a Seton Hall softball player with yet another strong campaign in her senior season. The third baseman battled through injury and still managed to bat .301 and club a team-high 10 home runs, ranking top-five in the BIG EAST. She etched her name further in the program's record book by setting career records for runs scored and walks while cracking the top-three in home runs, RBIs, hits and batting average. She also became just the second Seton Hall student-athlete to earn the BIG EAST Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award thanks to her 3.87 GPA and dual major in Mathematics and Secondary Education.
Yanchulis wrapped up his incredible career in South Orange with the second BIG EAST title in program history in as many years. He added three more BIG EAST gold medals to his collection, and finished his career with an astonishing 10 BIG EAST titles. A two-time BIG EAST Most Outstanding Swimmer, Yanchulis owns the school record in the 200 free, 100 IM, and the 200, 400 and 800 free relay. He is in the top-3 in the program record book in eight events including the 200 IM, 100 and 500 free. The Arnold, Md. native is a two-time winner of the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award, four-time BIG EAST All-Academic selection, and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Student-Athlete Honor Society. A double major in business administration and information technology management & marketing, Yanchulis earned his degree in May with a 3.43 GPA.
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete in each BIG EAST-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council.
Dadona was one of the truly "feel-good" stories of the 2018 baseball season for the Pirates. After spending three years as a part-time player, he blossomed as Seton Hall's everyday second baseman as a senior. Named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on April 24, he led The Hall, and ranked ninth in the BIG EAST Conference with a .323 batting average. Dadona ranked second on the team with 18 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI contests this season. He also has a career-highs with three home runs, 21 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 15 walks. For his efforts on the field, he was named Seton Hall's Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. In the classroom, Dadona has maintained an impressive 3.70 grade point average and is a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star. An Academic Merit Award recipient, he was also named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District 2 Team.
Walkden capped one of the most decorated careers ever for a Seton Hall softball player with yet another strong campaign in her senior season. The third baseman battled through injury and still managed to bat .301 and club a team-high 10 home runs, ranking top-five in the BIG EAST. She etched her name further in the program's record book by setting career records for runs scored and walks while cracking the top-three in home runs, RBIs, hits and batting average. She also became just the second Seton Hall student-athlete to earn the BIG EAST Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award thanks to her 3.87 GPA and dual major in Mathematics and Secondary Education.
Yanchulis wrapped up his incredible career in South Orange with the second BIG EAST title in program history in as many years. He added three more BIG EAST gold medals to his collection, and finished his career with an astonishing 10 BIG EAST titles. A two-time BIG EAST Most Outstanding Swimmer, Yanchulis owns the school record in the 200 free, 100 IM, and the 200, 400 and 800 free relay. He is in the top-3 in the program record book in eight events including the 200 IM, 100 and 500 free. The Arnold, Md. native is a two-time winner of the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award, four-time BIG EAST All-Academic selection, and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Student-Athlete Honor Society. A double major in business administration and information technology management & marketing, Yanchulis earned his degree in May with a 3.43 GPA.
Players Mentioned
INF/OF
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Softball
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