Five Flashes Named MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes for Winter Season
5/7/2020 2:02:00 PM | General, Wrestling, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
CLEVELAND – Five Kent State student-athletes earned Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honors during the winter season, the Mid-American Conference announced on Thursday afternoon.
Following each season from the winter sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students, junior college transfers and graduate transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
New for this 2019-20 academic season, the selection for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete included all student-athletes that were recognized as All-MAC selections and Academic All-MAC selections from their respective sport, along with maintaining a 3.50 GPA and above.
Men's track and field led the way with three honorees in redshirt senior TJ Lawson, redshirt senior Walter Petzel and junior Justin Prack. Tim Rooney (wrestling) and Grace Tennant (women's track and field) also earned the recognition.
Lawson was named MAC Most Outstanding Field Performer for the indoor track and field season after setting a conferences championship record in the heptathlon with 5,723 points. The NCAA qualifier in the event's season-best total of 5,885 at the Razorback Invitational ranked fourth in the country. This is his seventh MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honor overall and fourth for indoor track and field.
Petzel won the shot put at the MAC Indoor Championships with an indoor personal-best throw of 56'-4.5". This is his fifth MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honor overall and third for indoor track and field.
Prack helped the Golden Flashes' distance medley relay team place second at the MAC Indoor Championships with a time of 9:55.98. This is his third MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honor overall and second for indoor track and field.
Rooney earned All-America honorable mention distinction from the NWCA after a 26-9 season that included a conference crown at 133 pounds. This is his second MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honor.
Tennant won the shot put at the MAC Indoor Championships. Her personal-best throw of 52'-7.5" ranked 44th in the country and is good for eighth on the KSU all-time indoor performance list.
Kent State's MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes
*^~TJ Lawson, Kent State, Redshirt Senior, 3.792 GPA, Sports Administration and Business Management (Stow, Ohio)
*^~Walter Petzel, Kent State, Redshirt Senior, 3.799 GPA, Construction Management (Vincent, Ohio)
*Justin Prack, Kent State, Junior, 3.743 GPA, Accounting (Springfield, Ohio)
*Tim Rooney, Kent State, Redshirt Senior, 3.813 GPA, Exercise Physiology (Columbus Ohio)
Grace Tennant, Kent State, Junior, 3.801 GPA, Physical Education (Caistor Centre, Ontario)
* 2018-19 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
^ 2017-18 Distinguished Scholar Athlete
~ 2016-17 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
Players Mentioned
