June 2, 2009
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Lamarra Currie of Charlotte, La Salle's Christa Dominick, Katelyn Murray of St. Bonaventure and George Washington's David Zenk will continue their college educations with the help of postgraduate scholarships awarded by the Atlantic 10 Conference, it was announced today.
"I congratulate our four A-10 postgraduate scholarship recipients and have no doubt they will enjoy great success while earning their graduate degrees. Each one has demonstrated exceptional academic and athletic excellence and they are credits to their institutions and the Atlantic 10 Conference," stated commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
Currie, who was recently awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, established meet records in the 100m (11.44) and 200m (23.46) dashes as she defended her titles in both events at the 2009 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 2-3). The senior from Apex, N.C., also ran the second leg of the winning 4x100m relay that registered a meet-record time of 44.94 as the 49ers captured their fourth consecutive A-10 crown. Currie will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (June 10-13) in both the 100m and 200m dashes.
A finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Academic Award and five-time Academic All-Conference selection, Currie is the lone two-time recipient of the Student-Athlete of the Year honor in women's outdoor track & field since the award's inception in 2000. She was tabbed the 2009 Student-Athlete of the Year in women's indoor track & field and garnered CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-America distinction in 2008. Currie boasts a 4.0 grade point average as a psychology major and plans to pursue a doctorate in counseling psychology.
Dominick enjoyed a stellar senior campaign for the La Salle volleyball team as she led the team in blocks (69) and finished second in kills (216) while being named to the George Mason and Villanova Classic All-Tournament Teams. The White Lake, Mich., native ended her career ranked first in program history with 280 assisted blocks.
Twice named to the Academic All-Conference Team, Dominick garnered CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second-Team honors in 2008. She was recently awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and boasts a 3.79 grade point average while majoring in Spanish. In 2008, Dominick taught English courses in Peru and volunteered in a public clinic in Guatemala. She will enroll in medical school in the fall.
Murray finished the season her senior season ranked second on the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team in both scoring (11.4) and three-point percentage (38 percent) while leading the Bonnies in both three-point field goals (60) and steals (37). The Harrisburg, Pa., resident became just the 17th player in team history to reach the 1,000-point milestone for a Bona team that won a team-record 23 contests and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2009 WNIT.
Off the court, Murray was equally impressive, earning Academic All-Conference and CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors for the second consecutive year. She was named to the I-AAA Athletic Directors Association Basketball Scholar-Athlete All-America Team and boasts a 4.0 grade point average as a biology major. Named Valedictorian of her class, Murray was presented with both the "Letterwinner" and "Merit" awards by the St. Bonaventure Department of Athletics. She plans to attend dental school in the fall.
Zenk placed first and established meet records in the 200-yard backstroke (1:45.67), 200-yard individual medley (1:48.35) and 400-yard individual medley (3:52.17) events at the Atlantic 10 Swimming & Diving Championship (Feb. 18-21). The St. Louis, Mo., resident registered an NCAA "B" qualifying time in the 400-yard individual medley en route to winning the event for the fourth time, while capturing his third gold medal in both the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley events, respectively. The senior was tabbed the Most Outstanding Performer of the 2009 Championship for an unprecedented third time.
A three-time Academic All-Conference and nine-time Performer of the Week selection, Zenk was tabbed the 2009 Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year in men's swimming & diving. In addition, he played four seasons with the George Washington water polo team and amassed 320 career points. Zenk maintains a 3.41 grade point average while majoring in biology and will begin classes in the fall at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The Atlantic 10 Conference annually honors four student-athletes who excel in academics and athletics and are involved in extra-curricular activities. The recipients are required to use the scholarship toward postgraduate education expenses.