TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – Allegheny senior Samantha Dzierba (Colden, N.Y./Orchard Park) and Washington & Jefferson senior Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) were named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Scholar-Athletes of the Month for March.
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 March, Dzierba posted a 5-3 record with a 2.91 ERA over 43.2 innings pitched. She tallied 47 strikeouts, allowed just 18 earned runs, and issued 17 walks. In her season-opening start against Bluffton on March 2, an outing that earned her PAC Pitcher of the Week honors, Dzierba struck out nine and allowed only one hit over five scoreless innings. She went on to pitch two additional shutouts during the month.
A senior environmental science and sustainability major, Dzierba maintains a 3.85 GPA. She is a Chi Alpha Sigma inductee and two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree (2023, 2024), as well as a Distinguished Alden Scholar for the 2021–22 and 2023–24 academic years and an Alden Scholar for 2022–23. A recipient of the Trustee Scholarship since 2021, she has co-authored two publications and presented at the 2024 JMIH Conference in Pittsburgh. Dzierba has contributed to six research and professional projects spanning marine science, sustainability, and community planning.
On campus, Dzierba serves as a peer mentor and tutor for Organismal Biology and Ecology. She has worked as a student supervisor at the Wise Athletic Center and also contributes to the college’s athletic programs as an athletic communications assistant working in media and social media production.
Female March honorable mention nominees included: Bethany junior Jazmin Gonzalez (lacrosse); Grove City senior Abby Roetering (lacrosse); W&J senior Ella Phillips (lacrosse); Waynesburg senior Grace Higgins (softball); Westminster junior Alyssa Rapp (golf).
Through the month of March, DiMatteo led the PAC and ranked fifth in NCAA Division III with an impressive 0.72 earned run average. Over 25 innings pitched, he allowed just two earned runs, compiling a 4-0 record and earning a save. The team captain secured victories over Pitt-Greensburg, Marymount, Geneva, and Waynesburg.
The senior accounting major maintains a 3.78 GPA and has been recognized as a multi-time W&J Beta Scholar honoree (3.70–3.85 GPA range). He was selected as a CSC Academic All-District honoree in 2024 and has earned PAC Spring Academic Honor Roll honors in both 2023 and 2024. Additionally, he has been named to the Dean's List for six semesters.
At W&J, DiMatteo is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society (August 2022–Present), where he contributes to the local Washington community by writing Christmas cards for children at Washington Park Elementary, participating in clothing and food drives, and engaging in various fundraising efforts to give back. Additionally, he is a member of the Accounting Society (August 2021–Present), where he has helped raise funds for the Accounting Department through numerous initiatives to support scholarships and foster stronger connections between the W&J College Student Accounting Society and the broader accounting community. He also helped in the creation of W&J's holiday parade float, which is featured in the City of Washington's holiday parade.
Male March honorable mention nominees included: Allegheny senior Walker Cunningham (baseball); Bethany senior Derek Black (baseball); Grove City junior Caleb Einolf (swimming & diving); Waynesburg senior Dalton Mount (baseball); Westminster senior David Kelly (baseball).