Lady Flames Named 2017 ITA All-Academic Team for Fifth Consecutive Year

2017 All-Academic Teams & Scholar Athletes - Division I Women

The Liberty women's tennis program earned its status as a 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team for a fifth straight year, as announced by the ITA on Tuesday.

The listing is comprised of programs with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher. Liberty women's tennis posted a 3.34 GPA during the 2016-17 academic year and holds a 3.41 cumulative GPA.

In addition, Mariely Hassey, Emily Groeneveld, Evangeline Crist and Aleksandra Panchenko were each named to the 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete team.

The Liberty women's tennis program earned its status as a 2017 ITA All-Academic Team for a fifth straight year and placed four student-athletes on the 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete team.

To be eligible for the ITA individual listing, a student-athlete must be a varsity letterwinner, possess a GPA of 3.50 or greater for the current academic year and have been enrolled at the institution for two semesters.

"I'm proud of how hard our girls work in the classroom. It is a testament to their commitment to be excellent in all phases of their lives – academics, athletics, social and spiritual," stated Liberty Women's Tennis Head Coach Jeff Maren. "I have no doubt that we will continue this level of excellence again this year."

Hassey's selection is her fourth consecutive appearance on the ITA Scholar-Athlete team. Groeneveld and Crist are both making their third appearances on the squad, while Panchenko is appearing on the team for the first time.

Hassey graduated with a bachelor's degree in human resource management and is working on a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree at Liberty. The Surprise, Az., native out her career second place all-time in program history in singles victories (69), including a team-best 20 singles triumphs as a senior.

Groeneveld, who is currently working on her master's degree in human services counseling: crisis response and trauma, was Liberty's representative on the Big South All-Academic team. During her senior season, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native finished tied for second on the squad in singles wins (17) and third in doubles victories (16). The senior closed out her playing career with the ninth-most doubles victories in Lady Flames' tennis history (49).

Crist, a business administration – digital marketing and advertising major, was named to the 2017 Big South All-Conference second team in singles and the VaSID All-State Doubles first team with partner Anna Dollar. Crist closed her junior campaign with 17 singles victories (tied for second on team) and 19 doubles wins (second on team). The Lilburn, Ga., native is currently third in Liberty women's tennis history with 67 singles victories, needing 21 wins to surpass the all-time leader, Jordan Jenkins (87 wins, 2008-11). She also sits at No. 3 in doubles wins with 74, needing 17 to surpass the all-time leader, Valerie Thong (90 wins, 2013-16).

Panchenko, who is undecided upon her major at this point, collected 13 total doubles wins and four singles victories as a sophomore. The Moscow, Russia, native teamed with fellow sophomore Rebekah Anderson for a Maroon doubles flight title at the season-opening Elon Fall Invitational.
In total, 720 teams and 3,908 student-athletes across all five divisions of college tennis were recognized. At the Division I level, 302 teams and 1,521 scholar-athletes were honored.

Burton, Poynter Honored as 2017 ITA Scholar-Athletes

2017 All-Academic Teams & Scholar Athletes - Division I Men

The Liberty Flames men's tennis program placed a pair of student-athletes, Chase Burton and Alex Poynter, on the list of 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athletes.

Burton and Poynter were both named on the list of 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athletes.

To qualify for the academic honor, a student-athlete must be a letterwinner with a 3.50 or higher GPA for the current academic year while having been enrolled at the school for two semesters. After Burton and Poynter were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, Liberty men's tennis has now had 11 players in program history tabbed to the ITA Scholar-Athlete team.

Burton, a mechanical engineering major, enjoyed a highly successful year in the classroom and on the court as a freshman. The Naples, Fla., native was named to the Big South Conference First Team All-Conference singles list. He was also selected to the VaSID All-State Men's Tennis singles second team, the first Flames freshman in program history to garner the distinction. The two-time Big South Freshman of the Week paced the squad in singles victories with 18 and finished tied for second in doubles triumphs (12).

Poynter, a business administration major, posted 10 doubles wins with partner Diego Castano during the year, the most of any Flames tandem. Poynter and Castano won the Black doubles flight at the N.C. State Invite during the fall campaign. The Houston, Texas, native also collected three singles victories as a sophomore.

Liberty's men's tennis program currently holds a 3.15 cumulative GPA, the highest among Liberty's NCAA Division I men's athletics programs. The team posted a 3.19 team GPA during the 2016-17 academic year, also highest among Flames men's teams.

In total, 720 teams and 3,908 student-athletes across all five divisions of college tennis were recognized. At the Division I level, 302 teams and 1,521 scholar-athletes were honored.

Barr Tabbed 2016-17 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award Winner

BIG EAST Release 

Liberty field hockey student-athlete Serena Barr was one of 22 BIG EAST Conference student-athletes to be recognized as a 2016-17 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award winner, as announced by the league on Wednesday.

Barr was one of 22 BIG EAST student-athletes to be named a Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award winner. (Photo credit: Mitch Leff)

The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are handed out to one student-athlete in each BIG EAST sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accomplishments and volunteer service to the community. Barr was the lone BIG EAST field hockey student-athlete to receive the recognition among the conference's eight teams, chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) Council.

The list of 22 athletes features 16 seniors, four juniors and two graduate students. Barr graduated summa cum laude from Liberty in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in public health and a perfect 4.00 GPA.

"Serena continually displays excellence through her commitment to achievement academically, socially and athletically," stated Liberty Senior Associate Athletics Director – Academic Affairs Kristie Beitz. "Her ability to motivate her peers to perform at a superior level is a reflection of her leadership and commitment to excellence."

During the summer months, Barr has continued to collect accolades. The Lurgan, Northern Ireland, native was selected to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District™ III Women's At-Large Team and received the Big South Conference's prestigious Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence in the month of May.

In June, Barr was named to the 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-America® At-Large second team. She also was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, one of 229 Division I student-athletes nominated for the prestigious award. Earlier in July, Barr was one of six Liberty student-athletes to earn a spot on the 2016-17 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State Team.

Seton Hall paced the BIG EAST with five honorees, followed by Villanova with four and Butler with three. Liberty (Barr) and Temple (Brenda McDermott, women's lacrosse) were the two affiliate members represented in the 2016-17 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards winners.

3 Lady Flames Tabbed to IWLCA Academic Honor Roll

IWLCA Academic Honor Roll Release

Three Liberty women's lacrosse players – Courtney Brown, Victoria Tickle and Faith Wells – were named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Zag Sports Division I Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the IWLCA on Wednesday afternoon.

To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must be a junior, senior or graduate student and have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater. The IWLCA recognized 402 student-athletes from 102 different institutions across the country.

Liberty has boasted three student-athletes in the listing on three separate occasions (2011, 2015 and 2017).

"I am extremely proud of Courtney, Tori and Faith for this accomplishment," said Liberty Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Kelly Nangle. "They are excellent examples of student-athletes, and it is great to see them rewarded for all of their hard work off the field."

Brown's selection marks the second academic award of the 2016-17 academic year for the Ladera Ranch, Calif., native. She was named to the Big South All-Academic squad in April for her efforts in the classroom. Brown, a Big South All-Conference second team and Big South All-Tournament team honoree, graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in industrial and systems engineering.

Tickle is making her first appearance on the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. The Fairfax, Va., native enjoyed a successful year both in the classroom and on the field, as she was a Big South All-Conference second team and VaSID All-State first team selection in 2017. Tickle graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in elementary education integrated studies: English.

Wells graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in elementary education integrated studies: English. The native of Haymarket, Va. served as a team captain in 2017.

Liberty was one of four Big South schools with three or more student-athletes named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll, along with High Point, Presbyterian and Winthrop.

5 Liberty Student-Athletes Participate in Big South Leadership Conference

Big South Video Recap
Five Liberty student-athletes recently participated in the Big South Conference's 11th annual Student-Athlete Leadership Conference, held July 7-9 in Black Mountain, N.C.

Diego Castano (men's tennis), Jessica Cicerchia (softball), Evangeline Crist (women's tennis), Jeff Jacobs (men's track and field) and Morgan Weigner (swimming and diving) represented Liberty at the three-day conference.

(L-R) Jessica Cicerchia, Jeff Jacobs, Morgan Weigner, Diego Castano and Evangeline Crist represented Liberty at the 2017 Big South Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

Forty Big South student-athletes participated in the conference, as this year marked the first time that every Big South institution and every sport was represented at the event.

"The leadership conference was a great opportunity to really gain wisdom and advice from people who are providing us opportunities to grow as athletes and become well-rounded people, as well as creating meaningful friendships with athletes from other schools," Weigner said. "It truly made me so grateful to be a Flame and motivated me to be a good steward of the blessings we have at Liberty and the chance we are given to better ourselves and the teams we represent."

Musco Sports Lighting served as the sponsor of the event, with Musco's staff members among those presenting. Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander provided a Big South Conference update at the beginning of the leadership conference, and various special guests spoke at the conference throughout the weekend.
Participants had the chance to learn alongside student-athletes from other schools in the conference through leadership discussions and team-building activities.

"The leadership conference was an incredible opportunity to connect with other athletes in the conference without the wall of competition between us. It gave us the chance to build connections with people we normally would not be able to connect with," Jacobs stated. "I loved watching the speakers walk a group of 60 athletes through Biblical truth and wisdom without using the Bible specifically. I personally took away a lot of great ideas and tools to turn myself and my team into better leaders on campus and on the track. The Big South did an incredible job running the retreat, and all of the athletes involved were amazing people."

Representatives from Growing Leaders, a leadership training and development company, also shared their knowledge with the student-athletes.

Timothy Alexander also spoke to the student-athletes. Alexander, who was recruited to play football at UAB, was involved in a car accident in October of 2006 that left him paralyzed.

Alexander used the accident as motivation to help bring the UAB football program, as well as bowling and rifle at the school. In July of 2016, Alexander stood up unassisted for the first time in 10 years.

Liberty Lacrosse to Hold Inaugural Prospect Day on Aug. 19

Liberty Lacrosse 2017 Prospect Day Registration

In advance of the 2017-18 school year, the Liberty women's lacrosse program will be holding its inaugural Prospect Day on Aug. 19.

The Liberty Lady Flames women's lacrosse program will be hosting the 2017 Prospect Day on Aug. 19.

The 2017 Prospect Day will be hosted at the East Campus fields (2200 Liberty Mountain Dr., Lynchburg, VA 24502). Check-in will be held from 8:15-9 a.m., and the camp will dismiss at 3 p.m. The clinic is open to any and all entrants limited only by number, age, grade and/or gender.

The prospect day will feature a skill session (9-11 a.m.), lunch, academic talk and tour (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) and game session (1-3 p.m.). Liberty lacrosse camps focus on teaching the skills, concepts and game situations that will give each player confidence to make decisions on the field and prepare them to play at the next level.

The Liberty Lacrosse complex features two synthetic turf fields recently replaced in November 2016, as well as a team clubhouse including locker rooms, a team room equipped with a full kitchen, a players' lounge and the coaches' offices.

To register for the 2017 Prospect Day, click on the Lacrosse Clinics tab on the lacrosse page on LibertyFlames.com, or see below.

Registration: http://www.totalcamps.com/LIBERTYWOMENSLACROSSE/events

For questions, please contact Liberty Lacrosse Assistant Coach Nina Dunay (ndunay@liberty.edu or 434-582-2144). 

Women's Tennis Welcomes 3 More Student-Athletes

Liberty Women's Tennis Head Coach Jeff Maren has announced the addition of transfer Ashley Bongart, along with freshmen Nasha Ghajar and Grace Hashiguchi, for the 2017-18 academic year.

"Coach Lemmi and I are excited to add these three outstanding girls to our team! They will add tremendous depth to our lineup and provide us with a great work ethic and desire to improve and succeed," Maren stated. "Their personalities fit our program like a glove, and I have no doubt that they will all play an integral role in helping our team climb to the next level."

Bongart (left), Ghajar (center) and Hashiguchi (right) will join the Liberty women's tennis team for the 2017-18 academic year.

Bongart, a native of Bradenton, Fla., joins the Lady Flames following two years of competition at Tennessee. In two years with the Volunteers, she compiled 17 singles victories and 16 doubles wins while being named to the 2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to attending Tennessee, Bongart was a five-star recruit and ranked as high as No. 28 in the country as a junior player. Bongart's father, Eddie Bongart, played for the Liberty men's tennis program from 1990-94.

"I'm excited about playing for Coach Maren and Coach Lemmi. My teammates are all so talented, and I believe we will have a great opportunity to win the Big South Conference," Bongart said. "I'm really blessed to have this opportunity that the Lord has given me to attend and play for Liberty."

Ghajar hails from Buffalo, N.Y. and has also lived overseas, primarily in Saudi Arabia. An incoming freshman, Ghajar has been training for the past few years at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

"I was taken in by everyone, which signaled it was the right opportunity for me to follow my life's path," Ghajar stated. "It's a beautiful campus that holds kind-hearted people. I consider it an honor to call Liberty my new home, and I am proud to be a Flame!"

Hashiguchi, a native of Rockville, Md., is a four-star recruit who has been ranked as high as No. 129 in the country. She recently reached the quarterfinals of the Elon Invitational on the ITA Summer Circuit.

"Liberty University is everything I was searching for in terms of a strong, God-centered school which strives for excellence in every aspect of a student-athlete's life," Hashiguchi stated. "There is so much support offered to student-athletes at Liberty, and I am very excited to be joining the women's tennis team family, where I know I will further grow and mature and have the opportunity to work with Coach Maren, Coach Lemmi and all the other team members."