June 10, 2008

IRVING, Texas - Two East Carolina seniors, Hannah Priest of the women's tennis team and Kelley Wernert of the volleyball squad, have been recognized as 2007-08 Conference USA Scholar Athletes-of-the-Year, according to an announcement made by league commissioner Britton Banowsky on Tuesday afternoon.

C-USA Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year awards are presented to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport. The award is based on academic achievement (GPA), athletic achievement and service.

Priest helped her team qualify as the only ECU program and only C-USA women's tennis squad to record a national Top 10 Academic Progress Rate (APR) score while Wernert, named national Player-of-the-Week by CVU.com in September, was an integral part in guiding the volleyball team to its highest-ever semester GPA this past spring (3.521). Additionally, both Pirates were named to their respective sports' All-Academic Teams as well as earning C-USA Academic medals, C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll status and 2007-08 GPAs of 4.0.

Priest, a Carthage, N.C. native, tallied a 9-2 singles record as her team produced a 17-6 dual match record and garnered its first ever national ranking (65) by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Additionally, she knocked off Hannah Kretzer of No. 43 Virginia Tech in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) on Mar. 6, the only Pirate to earn a win against the Hokies in the match.

Wernert, a Hoffman Estates, Ill. native, broke numerous school records, including kills in a match, single-season kills and career kills. She finished her career recording double-digit kills in 60 of her last 65 matches, including all but two of the team's 33 contests in 2007.

2007-08 C-USA Scholar Athlete Award Winners
Baseball - James Cesario, Houston
Men's Basketball - Paulius Packevicius, Rice
Women's Basketball - Twiggy McIntyre, Houston
Men's Cross Country - Brad Morris, Rice
Women's Cross Country - Marissa Daniels, Rice
Football - Paul Smith, Tulsa
Men's Golf - Brad Benjamin, Memphis
Women's Golf - Kate Ackerson, SMU
Men's Soccer - Ben Shuleva, SMU
Women's Soccer - Jami Tullius, UTEP
Softball - Sara Dyer, Tulsa
Women's Swimming and Diving - Jennifer Basel, SMU
Men's Tennis - Arnau Brugues, Tulsa
Women's Tennis - Hannah Priest, East Carolina
Men's Track and Field - Mickael Hanany, UTEP
Volleyball - Kelley Wernert, East Carolina