PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno today announced the league's annual recipients of postgraduate scholarships.

"The Atlantic 10 is proud to be able to provide opportunities for its student-athletes to continue their educations," says Bruno. "These young women and men are prime examples of what college athletics is all about - attaining excellence academically and athletically. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors."

The Atlantic 10 annually awards four postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who express an interest in continuing their education. This year's recipients are Teresa Andreani of Saint Joseph's, Rhode Island's Yolanda Bogacz and Anthony Lordo, and La Salle's Patrick O'Neil. This is the sixth season that a total of four recipients have been selected.

Andreani ended her undergraduate academic career with a 3.79 grade point average as a chemistry major. She has been accepted to the Ph.D. program at Rutgers University, where she will be involved in research of organic synthesis and drug design for medicinal purposes, enabling her to work on projects to help find a cure for cancer and AIDS. A three-time member of the Atlantic 10 All-Conference softball team, Andreani batted .316 as a senior with a team-best 50 hits. The catcher finished her career third all-time at Saint Joseph's with 193 hits and 45 doubles, fourth with 107 runs, and fifth with 93 RBI. She also garnered all-region honors twice and was named the 2002 Atlantic 10 softball Student-Athlete of the Year.

A member of the 2001 Atlantic 10 All-Conference volleyball team, Bogacz was among the Rams' leaders in several categories. She paced the squad with 326 kills, while placing second among the Rams with a .262 hitting percentage and 103 blocks. The middle blocker ended her collegiate career with 818 kills and a .233 hitting percentage. A computer science and biological science major, Bogacz posted a 3.81 grade point average and will use her grant to pursue a Master's in bioinformatics at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell. She hopes to use her degree to develop educational tools for children.

Lordo, also form Rhode Island, compiled a 3.20 grade point average in education and will pursue his Master's degree in education, with an emphasis on social studies, at Wagner College. The son of a New York City firefighter, Lordo has already taught in the classroom, explaining from his personal perspective the World Trade Center bombings. The three-time member of the Dean's List was a standout on the Rhode Island track team, winning the Atlantic 10 high jump title six times during his career. He also won two New England high jump titles and was a three-time member of the IC4A all-east team. With Lordo on the Rams' track teams, Rhode Island won four Atlantic 10 Championships (two indoor and two outdoor).

Despite an assortment of injuries which required three major knee reconstruction surgeries, O'Neil was an integral member of the La Salle soccer team. The defender was also a standout in the classroom, earning a 3.60 grade point average in management. A member of the Dean's List and Business Honor Society, O'Neil plans on enrolling in an MBA program, focusing on human resource management.