May 12, 2008

Center Valley, Pa. - Army junior Jessica Shurtz was voted the Patriot League Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, it was announced on Monday by Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. Shurtz is the fourth-overall Army women's tennis student-athlete in Patriot League history to win the prestigious award. The scholar-athlete of the year award is voted on by the Patriot League women's tennis sports information directors.

Shurtz, an aeronautical engineering major with a 3.753 cumulative grade-point average, has recorded the highest GPA on her team. The junior from Plano, Texas is a recipient of the West Point Gold Star, which honors those cadets that have a GPA of higher than 3.67 within the Corps. In fall of 2007, she was a squad leader within her company, and in the summer of 2007 she was the first detail BEAST Platoon Sergeant, placing her in charge of approximately 40 cadets.

During the 2007-08 season, Shurtz put together a singles record of 11-10, while contributing to a program best 26-7 overall team record. She has been a member of the Patriot League Champion Black Knights for the past three seasons, and her 23 singles wins in 2005-06 rank as the tenth-best single-season mark in program history. She played in the No. 1 position during six dual matches this spring for Army.

To be eligible for the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen are not eligible for this honor.

The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each individual sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out over the summer. One male and one female are selected for this honor.