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Monday, August 28, 2006 Presbyterian's Rincon named Division II Conference Commissioner's Association Regional Winner for Scholar-Athlete Award INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – The 2006 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award winner, Hector Rincon has been selected among the sixteen regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, announced today. |
Rincon, a former men’s tennis player from Presbyterian College, will now advance to the national ballot. A male and female Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be selected from the 16 regional winners, eight men and eight women. The national award winners will be announced in early September.
This award, sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of Sports, provides the opportunity for Division II to highlight the extraordinary achievements of its student-athletes. DII CCA President and Commissioner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, Jim Naumovich, explains that the award showcases the talent at the NCAA Division II level. “Division II has the best of both worlds,” adds Naumovich, “great athletes and great students.”
The commissioners from the regions that comprise the Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners. To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 career cumulative grade point average and possess outstanding athletic credentials.
“Disney’s Wide World of Sports fully supports the educational and personal development of athletes of all ages, which is why we are so proud to be associated with this award,” said Fred Schoeler, Sports Account Manager for Disney Sports Attractions. “As host of the Division II Men’s and Women’s Tip Off Classic basketball tournaments, we are uniquely aware of the tremendous work, dedication and passion that these athletes demonstrate throughout the year and it is our honor to help recognize them for their extraordinary achievements in sports and in the classroom.”
The eight women’s regional winners include: Rebecca Brezovec (Wingate); Lindsey Dietz (Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth); Kristin Anderson (Central Missouri State); Amanda Newton (Drury); Katrina Holmberg (California State Polytechnic, Pomona); Alyse Hasty (Delta State); Jenny Mongeau (Assumption); and Brenna Clark (Pfeiffer); men’s regional winners are: Hector Rincon (Presbyterian); Ryan Koch (St. Cloud State); Josh Lamberson (Northwest Missouri State); Nick Frederickson (Quincy); Tony Binetti (Seattle Pacific); Cory Cangelosi (Univ. of Central Arkansas); Bryan Duplissie (Franklin Pierce); and Lloyd Price (California, Pa.)
Rincon (London, England/Heathside Sixth Form) was named to the first team 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America men’s at-large team as well as the first team Academic All-District III men’s at-large team. He compiled a 14-6 mark at No. 1 singles and a 17-1 mark at No. 1 doubles, while being named SAC Player of the Year for the second time in his career (2004 and 2006) and earning first team All-SAC honors for the fourth straight year. In addition, he was named the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament MVP and finished the year ranked No. 14 regionally in singles and No. 5 in doubles. He was also voted as the 2006 SAC President’s Award winner as the league’s top male scholar-athlete for the 2005-06 academic year.
He helped lead the 2006 Blue Hose squad to a 14-7 overall record, the South Atlantic Conference regular season & Food Lion SAC Tournament titles, a No. 16 final national ranking, and a bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament. Rincon helped lead the Blue Hose to a 68-26 overall record, three SAC regular season titles (22-1), three SAC Tournament titles, a top 25 national ranking all four years, and four trips to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament.
In the classroom, he carried a cumulative GPA of 3.86 while double majoring in mathematics and business administration with a concentration in economics. He was selected to the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll for four straight years, while being named to the school’s Dean’s List (3.3 GPA) for four semesters and to the President’s List (4.0 GPA) for four semesters. He was named the SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men’s tennis in 2005 and 2006 and graduated with Summa Cum Laude Honors. He is a member of the Sigma Kappa Alpha Honor Society and has been accepted to the London School of Economics, Vanderbilt University, and Notre Dame University for graduate studies in economics. Rincon, who received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, is attending Duke University and working on his PhD in economics.
For his career, Rincon went undefeated in four years of league play in singles (20-0), earned SAC All-Tournament honors three times (2004-06), and was named the 2003 SAC Freshman of the Year as well as an ITA Southeast Region “Player to Watch”. In the community, Rincon served as a math tutor for middle and high school students and was a member of the Presbyterian College Student-Athlete Advisory Council.