TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org)-- Washington & Jefferson senior Katie Brown (Mechanicsburg, Pa. | Cumberland Valley) and Allegheny junior Carter Hassenplug (North East, Pa. | North East) were named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Scholar-Athletes of the Month for September.
Each month, the SAAC groups at PAC member institutions are asked to nominate one male and one female student-athlete for PAC SAAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month consideration based on academic and athletic accomplishments. Nominees must be varsity team members in their respective sport and in their junior or senior year. Scholar-Athlete of the Month nominees must also have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and be actively involved within their campus communities.
During the month of September, Brown helped the Presidents to a 5-2-2 record and was named Defensive Player/Goalkeeper of the Week for the week of September 25-October 2. The senior midfielder/defender serves as a team captain and has been an All-Conference selection the past two years.
The senior accounting major maintains an impressive 3.94 GPA and has been named a W&J Alpha Scholar (3.85+), making the Dean's List six times. She earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors in 2022 and has been named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll three times.
On campus, Brown is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, currently serving as the Vice-President of Standards and previously as the Philanthropy Chair. She is also the secretary of W&J Outdoor Club and serves as a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions.
Female September honorable mention nominees included: Allegheny junior Cecilia Cocca (cross country), Bethany senior Mary Marshall (soccer), Chatham senior Meghan Dominek (volleyball), Franciscan graduate student Rani Hebert (volleyball), Geneva junior Delany Winterhalter (tennis), Saint Vincent senior Luciana Polk (volleyball), Waynesburg senior Kate James (soccer) and Westminster senior Caroline Fox (tennis).
Hassenplug led the Gators with two top ten finishes during the month of September, including a second-place tie performance at The Gauntlet at the Dauphin Highlands Golf Club in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team captain returns for the 2023 season after being named the PAC Men’s Golf MVP last year.
With an impressive 3.94 GPA, the mathematics major has been identified as a Distinguished Alden Scholar (High Dean's List honors), was named to the PAC Spring Academic Honor Roll, and was a CSC Academic All-District At-Large selection in 2022-23. He is also a member of Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics honor society), Omicron Delta Epsilon (the International Economics Honor Society) and has been named a GCAA All-America Scholar.
On campus, Hassenplug is a member of SAAC, serves as the treasurer of Pi Mu Epsilon, and is the Attorney General for "Why Not Us?" (WNU), a student organization focused on supporting sexual violence survivors, domestic abuse victims, and members of the LGBTQ+ community at Allegheny.
Male September honorable mention nominees included: Bethany senior Brennon Smith (football), Franciscan graduate student Jax Mautone (soccer), Geneva junior Kevin Arseneaux (cross country), W&J junior Jake Pugh (football), Waynesburg senior Tyler Mohrbacher (soccer), and Westminster senior Carter Chinn (football).