April 29, 2009

Center Valley, Pa. - Navy junior Erica Ziel selected as the Patriot League Women's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a vote by League outdoor track and field sports information directors, it was announced Wednesday. Ziel is the fourth female student-athlete to be named Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete in an academic year. Fordham's Lauren Gubicza (1991-92, '92-'93), Bucknell's Julie Sweitzer (1998-99) and American's Keira Carlstrom (2003-04) also accomplished the feat.

Ziel, an oceanography major, has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.81. The junior ranks 22nd overall in academic and military merit amongst 1,069 members in the Class of 2010. Ziel stands seventh overall in Military Order of Merit and has earned mention on the Commandant's and Superintendent's Lists in all five semesters at the Academy.

On the track, Ziel is one of Navy's five individual ECAC qualifiers this spring with a time of 37:02.51 in the 10,000m run set on Mar. 28. Ziel also owns the top League 10k time heading into this weekend's Patriot League Championships. The junior ranks seventh among the League's 5k runners this spring with her time of 17:43.57, and has finished among the top three in every race this spring, highlighted by her 10k victory at the Towson Invitational.

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.