July 8, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

Center Valley, Pa. - Army men's soccer student-athlete A.J. Glubzinski has already graduated from West Point, but he claimed another Patriot League honor on Wednesday. Glubzinski was selected as the 2008-09 Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, it was announced by Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. Glubzinski earned the Patriot League's highest honor after being named the 2008 Patriot League Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in November.

Glubzinski receives the male scholar-athlete honor after garnering praise for his success, both on the field and in the classroom. As a senior he was named a First-Team Lowe's All-Senior All-American and a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, as well as a Second-Team Academic All-District I selection by ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA. He was voted team captain in his final season in West Point. In his career, Glubzinski has been a four-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recipient, as well as a four-time Superintendant's Award winner for ranking in the top 15 percent of his class. He was also a Second-Team Academic All-American in 2007.

Glubzinksi maintained a 4.02 cumulative grade point average, which measures cadets' overall performance academically, physically and militarily. He held a 4.04 academic performance score while majoring in American Politics with honors. Glubzinski was a member of the West Point Scholarship Program and was a candidate for both the Rhodes Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship. He also interviewed for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and was a finalist for the Truman Scholarship. He received a fellowship to participate in a study at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and had a paper published on his work at the completion of his studies.

The senior goalkeeper started and played in 13 games this season, in which he had a .684 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average. Glubzinski ranked 66th in NCAA Division I men's soccer for saves, averaging 4.23 per game. As a junior, he ranked among the Patriot League leaders with a paltry 0.93 goals against average and an .800 save percentage. He also started 10 games during his sophomore year, finishing with a 7-3 record.

Glubzinski has also been active in the community, running a bi-annual youth soccer clinic for West Point-area children. He has worked with Habitat for Humanity in his hometown of Detroit. He also founded CURED (Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease) and a charity bowling event to contribute to research on a rare digestive disease incurred by a high school classmate. Glubzinski has also helped raised money and participated in a walk-a-thon for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. In addition, he has volunteered with Young Life of Urban and Metro Detroit. Glubzinski aspires to eventually be the Mayor of Detroit.

Glubzinski is Army's third winner of the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and the first since Steve Haley (swimming and diving) won in 1998. Darrin Hinman (track and field) was Army's first winner, claiming the honor in 1997.

The winner of each sport's Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is put in the running towards the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, with the League's sports information directors selecting one male and one female for the award. Others in contention for the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award were Army senior Tyler Anderegg (baseball), Army junior Andrew Ferrara (outdoor track and field), Lehigh junior Marquis Hall (basketball), Navy senior Jason Hill (tennis), Lehigh senior Dan Johnson (swimming and diving), Holy Cross senior Ryan McGuire (football), Navy senior David Miller (golf), Navy senior Bill Prom (cross country), Army senior Scott Rosenshein (lacrosse) and Navy junior Mark Van Orden (indoor track and field). All class years are from the 2008-09 academic year.

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.