FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, July 24, 2007

CONTACT: Ted Breidenthal 816/285-1419 tbreidenthal@d3independents.org www.d3independents.org

Randolph, Hadzinsky

Named Association of Division III Independents

2008-09 Student-Athletes of the Year

KANSAS CITY, MO.--- Volleyball outside hitter Jackie Randolph from California State University, East Bay, and Tyler Hadzinsky, a goalkeeper and infielder on Chapman University’s  soccer and baseball teams, were named today as the 2008-09 Student-Athletes of the Year by the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I).

Randolph, a criminal justice major from Alameda, Cal., led the Pioneers with 409 kills and .310 hitting percentage.  She tallied 15 or more kills in 12 matches, including 22 against Puget Sound and Trinity (Texas). Randolph had 28 service aces and was second on the team with 415 digs.  The Pioneer women’s volleyball team finished 29-5 and appeared in NCAA post-season play for the 11th straight season.  Randolph earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association first team All-America honors, and she was selected as the AD3I Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year.

Hadzinsky, a sophomore business major (3.90 grade-point average) from San Clemente, Cal., is a dual-sport student-athlete in soccer and baseball.  Hadzinsky made 49 saves, and posted four shutouts and a 0.62 goals-against average (lowest for a Chapman goalkeeper since 1983) during the soccer season, finishing 12-4-2.  Hadzinsky ranked third at Chapman University with a .376 batting average as the starting second baseman.  He led the team with 18 doubles, four triples and had 25 extra-base hits.  Hadzinsky also had a .573 slugging percentage, seven stolen bases and a .965 fielding percentage.  The Panthers were 32-17 and placed third at the Division III baseball championships.  Hadzinsky was named the AD3I Goalkeeper of the Year for 2008; AD3I All-Independent Third Team in baseball; and he is just the second student-athlete from Chapman to earn the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII in two sports in the same year.

Other nominated female student-athletes include Jessica Dixon, College of Saint Elizabeth (basketball); Lisa Scheer, St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) (softball); and Jessica Mollner, University of Dallas (softball).

 

Other nominated male student-athletes for the Student-Athlete of the Year award were Mark Marelich, California State University, East Bay (baseball); and Zach Atkins, University of Dallas (baseball).

 

Previous female Student-Athlete of the Year award winners:

2002-03            Stephanie Cameron, Thomas More College (softball)

2003-04            Gina Morgan, Nebraska Wesleyan University (cross country)

2004-05            Diana Lawson, New Jersey City University (track and field)

2005-06            Erin Powell, Nebraska Wesleyan University (track and field)

2006-07            Shanda Jackson, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) (track and field)

2007-08            Not awarded

 

Previous male Student-Athlete of the Year award winners:

 

2002-03            Alex Taylor, Chapman University (baseball)

2003-04            Bret Blake, Nebraska Wesleyan University (track and field/football)

2004-05            Matt Seeberger, University of California, Santa Cruz (tennis)

2005-06            Kyle Myrick, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) (basketball)

2006-07            Josh Flynn-Brown, Chapman University (basketball); and

                       Adam Lunger, University of Dallas (soccer)

2007-08            Not awarded

 

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 nine sports in 2008-09.  The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.  The Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports.  In addition, it also announced All-Independent teams at the conclusion of nine sports this year.

 

All competing 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 2008-09.  The award recipients were selected after a vote of the Association’s Student-Athlete Recognition Committee.