SKONIECZKI NAMED PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

June 12, 2001

Senior Soccer Standout Is 4th Colgate Student-Athlete To Win Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honor

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Colgate University senior soccer all-star Brendan Skonieczki (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal H.S.) was selected Patriot League Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the League's sports information directors. 

Skonieczki, a chemistry major with a 3.84 cumulative grade point average, becomes the first men's soccer player and the third Red Raider to win the Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in the 11-year history of the Patriot League. Previous Colgate winners were runner Ray Appenheimer (co-winner in 1993 and winner in 1994) and basketball standout Adonal Foyle (1996).

Women's basketball all-star Jen Smith (1994-95) also won the Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award twice during her Colgate career. Skonieczki is a two-time Charles A. Dana Scholar nominee and five-time member of CU's Dean's List. He won the George C. Delaporte Memorial Scholarship and the Gottesman Award for excellence in the sciences and athletics. A three-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Skonieczki was also named to the 2000 Verizon Academic All-District I Fall.

At-Large team and is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. A four-year starter on the field, Skonieczki served as team co-captain and earned first-team All-League honors in leading the Red Raiders to a 7-10-1 overall record. He was named the team's MVP and selected to the All-New York Region second team.

The forward led the team in scoring with 12 goals and seven assists for 31 points and was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week once during the campaign. He tied the school mark for assists in a season and had the fourth highest season output for goals and third highest for total points in team history.

He concluded his Colgate career as the all-time leader in assists with 17, tied for fourth in points scored with 59 and tied for 10th in goals scored with 21. He was the second Colgate player to earn the PL Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, joining Doug Reffue ('91) who shared the award with Lafayette's Tom Neale.

The Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year was selected from the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners from the 11 Patriot League championship sports.

Candidates must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his sport. The winners are selected in a vote of the League's sport information directors and the Patriot League staff.