For Immediate Release: May 1, 2006
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Five BU athletes to be honored as SUNY Chancellor Scholar-Athletes
Quintet combines athletic and academic excellence

VESTAL, N.Y. - Five Binghamton University student-athletes have been selected as SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award winners for the 2005-06 year. The group will join other recipients from SUNY schools at a reception and ceremony Monday night at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, N.Y.

Honored were junior baseball player Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.), senior tennis player Richemn Mourad (Sao Paulo, Brazil), senior basketball player Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa.), senior lacrosse player Kevin McKeown (Brewster, N.Y.) and junior golfer Jeff Wolniewicz (West Seneca, N.Y.).

The Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes a combination of academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at the Division l, Division lll and NJCAA levels. The recipients were selected by the Athletic Directors at each level of play. Region 3 and Region 15 of the NJCAA selected recipients from two-year schools; the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) recipients were selected by the SUNYAC executive committee; Division III schools and the four athletic directors or their representatives selected student-athletes from Division I schools.

Each student-athlete holds at least a 3.1 grade-point average. Below is a capsule look at the achievements of each.

Brendon Hitchcock
- First baseman and leading hitter for baseball team
- first team America East all-star in 2005
- three-time America East Player of the Week

Richemn Mourad
- No. 1 tennis player for men's tennis team that went 16-7 in 2005-06
- Named America East Player of the Year in 2005-06
- Two-time first team All-Conference selection in singles

Rachel Laws
- Three-time America East all-star
- Led women's basketball team to 17 wins in 2005-06
- Finished her career with 1,246 points, fifth best in school history
- Totalled 624 career rebounds, which ranks ninth all-time

Kevin McKeown
- Captain and goalie for men's lacrosse team
- Two-time America East all-star
- America East Player of the Year and All-American in 2004

Jeff Wolniewicz
- Top player for golf program that is ranked No. 1 in Northeast region
- Shot opening-round 68 and tied for first at New England Championship
- Also was 2005 Chancellor Scholar-Athlete recipient
- Has 73.9 scoring average