KANSAS CITY, MO.--- Diana Lawson, a five-time national sprint champion from New Jersey City University, and Matt Seeberger, the national champion tennis player at the University of California, Santa Cruz, were named today as the recipients of the Association of Division III Independents 2004-05 Student-Athlete of the Year awards.

Lawson, a Union, NJ, native who graduated in May, culminated her career at New Jersey City May 28 by winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wartburg College. Lawson was named the NCAA Division III Championships Female Track Athlete of the Meet.

An 11-time All-American between the indoor and outdoor seasons, Lawson is the 11th woman in the 24-year history of the championships to win titles in the 100 and 200 at the same meet, and the first to accomplish the feat since 2001. She previously won indoor national championships in the 55-meter dash in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

Lawson crushed the field in the 100-meter dash trials May 27 in 11.75 seconds, and claimed her first-ever outdoor national title by crossing the finish line in 11.82 seconds, 3/100th better than Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) sprinter Precious Macklin.

Her second championship occurred just an hour later when, in the 200-meter final, she posted a time of 24.10, 17/100th faster than Macklin. It was the best 200 mark in Division III this season, and broke a Wartburg Stadium record.

“It’s a great way to finish her college career, after winning two national titles and being outstanding performer,” New Jersey City University head track coach Steven Royster said of the association’s annual award. “She earned it. She worked hard for it. I wish we could get a few more athletes like her.”

In one week of competition at the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships held at UC Santa Cruz, Seeberger became the third player in NCAA history to sweep the singles and doubles championships, and the first from UC Santa Cruz.

Seeberger did not drop a set as he repeated as the NCAA singles champion. He defeated Will Boe-Wiegaard of Bates, 6-2, 6-4, to inch the Slugs within one point of the team championship.

Unseeded in the doubles tournament, Seeberger and partner Matt Brunner fought their way through a difficult bracket to pull off a thrilling third-set tiebreaker (after seven match points) against top-seeded Michael Malvits and Julian Seelan of Kalamazoo to win the doubles title.

This NCAA tournament marked the first time that players on one team captured the singles, doubles and team championships in the same year.

“Matt is an amazing player and an even more amazing young man,” said UC Santa Cruz tennis coach Bob Hansen. “The growth in his leadership and maturity over the last two years has rivaled his incredible growth as a player. We all look to him to lead a young team next year as we try to recreate our championship run of 2005.”

The Association of Division III Independents consists of 17 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in seven sports in 2004-05. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. For the first time, the Association provided statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it announced all-Independent teams at the conclusion of nine sports this year.

All student-athletes from the Association’s 17 members were eligible for the award. Each school was allowed to nominate its top performing male and female student-athletes from 2004-05. The award recipients were selected after a vote of the Association’s Student-Athlete Recognition Committee, comprised of sports information directors at five member schools.

More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at http://www.d3independents.org.

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