| Lanz, Hershberger named Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year BY MIKE UNGER 
Photo by Larry French
Heidi Hershberger AU athletics prides itself on superior performance both on the field and in the classroom. No two athletes epitomize that vision more perfectly than Conor Lanz and Heidi Hershberger, who last week were named Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year for their respective sports. Cross country runner Lanz, a graduate student in the School of Public Affairs, was named First-Team All-Patriot League for the second straight year, and finished seventh at the Patriot League Championships while compiling a 3.75 GPA. One of 12 AU male runners named to the conference’s academic honor roll, Lanz finished 15th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, helping AU to a second-place finish in the event. Hershberger scored 23 goals for the field hockey team this year, and helped lead it to its fourth-straight league title. “It’s really a great honor because it reflects the hard work that I’ve put into the last three years of my field hockey career and on my academics, and the amount of confidence my teammates have in me,” she said. The Davis, Calif., native earned her bachelor’s degree after completing her undergraduate work in three years with magna cum laude status. She now is working on her master’s in the School of International Affairs. “She’s a tremendously hard worker who is a selfless player,” said her coach, Steve Jennings. “She has the intellect and desire to do whatever her mind is set on.” Joining Hershberger on the field hockey academic honor roll are 16 of her
teammates. “I think it’s a great statement about how great a focus we have on academics,” Hershberger said. “Steve is obviously very focused on field hockey, but he’s very serious on putting academics first. When you come into his office he always asks you how your classes are going. We know we need to keep our minds on school.” In 2006, Hershberger was named Second-Team All-Patriot League and First-Team All-Region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Lately, Eagles have had a stranglehold on the Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in cross country and field hockey. Hershberger was the fourth AU player to earn the distinction in the last five years. She joins last year’s winner, Maureen Daniel, Laura Miller in 2004, and Magdalena Aguilar in 2003. Lanz’s win was the third in four years for male AU runners. He joins Steve Hallinan and Pat MacAdie, both former Patriot League champions, who earned the honor in 2005 and 2003 respectively. Solid showing for swimmers at George Mason meet The AU swimming and diving team posted two wins and six top-five finishes Jan. 27 at the George Mason Quad Meet in Fairfax, Va. Co-captain Meghan Thiel won both the 500 and 1,650 meter freestyle, taking the latter by more than 15 seconds. She finished sixth in the 200 freestyle, three spots behind co-captain Kaitlin Moughty. Moughty also placed second in the 500 freestyle and fifth in the 50 free. The team was scheduled to compete in Lewisburg, Pa., over the weekend at the Bucknell Invitational before preparing for the Patriot League Championships beginning Feb. 15. |
