BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University seniors
Alex Das and
Stephanie Lynch have been selected as two of the six individuals to receive the prestigious Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Award for 2009-10.
The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes, and is given annually to three men and three women of junior or senior status for their accomplishments in the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.
For the second consecutive year, EKU was the only school with two student-athletes on the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award list.
Das, a native of Valencia, Spain is in his final year of eligibility with the Colonel men’s tennis team. Last spring, he was named the OVC Player of the Year after going 5-0 in OVC play and 8-2 overall in the regular season at the No. 1 position as the team captain. His play helped Eastern to the regular season and OVC tournament championship and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. Das was also named to the All-OVC first-team for the third-straight season (he was named OVC Freshman of the Year in 2008). For his career, Das has a 67-27 overall singles record (19-2 in OVC play) and 46-29 overall doubles mark (18-2 in OVC play).
In the classroom, Das has achieved a perfect 4.00 grade point average in aviation-professional flight. That combination of academics and athletics earned him third-team ESPN Academic All-America honors in 2010. Das has also been a six-time selection to the EKU’s President’s List and Dean’s List, a three-time Colonel Scholar and a two-time OVC Medal of Honor and Commissioner’s Honor Roll pick. Das is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Alpha Eta Rho international aviation fraternity and the Chi Alpha Sigma college honor society.
Lynch is winding down her career on Eastern Kentucky’s soccer team. A team captain, Lynch has been a four-year starter and a two-time All-OVC second-team selection. The native of Goshen, Ky., holds the Eastern Kentucky career marks for saves and shutouts and the OVC single-game record for saves. As a junior in 2009 Lynch ranked second in the OVC in shutouts (six) and had 62 total saves. In 2008 she had an OVC-best eight shutouts and led the league in save percentage (.864).
In the classroom, Lynch has a 3.89 grade point average in general biology with a minor in chemistry. Lynch, a member of the Eastern Kentucky honors program, has earned numerous appearances on the EKU President’s and Dean’s Lists, as well as being a Colonel Scholar-Athlete and an OVC Medal of Honor and OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection. She is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, the Chi Alpha Sigma College Athletic Honor Society and the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Lynch’s volunteer activities include working with the Campus Outreach group, Campus Crusade for Christ and Christian Student Fellowship.
The six winners were selected from a group of 18 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.25 grade point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2009-10 school year.
The other award winners were: Dustin Davis of Southeast Missouri State University (cross country/track & field), Megan Gingerich of Eastern Illinois University (cross country/track & field), Chelsea Pelletier of Jacksonville State University (soccer) and Cody Terry of the University of Tennessee at Martin (baseball).
