17 Saint Michael's student-athletes inducted into honor societies during 2011-12 school year
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Seventeen Saint Michael's College student-athletes were inducted into 11 different academic honor societies during the 2011-12 school year, with rising women's basketball senior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) gaining entry into three.
Olsen was lauded by Phi Beta Kappa among her trio, earning recognition by the nation's oldest and largest academic honor society. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa promotes excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Students must not only have a high grade-point average, but have also studied a foreign language and mathematics at the college level and pursued a course of study with great breadth in the liberal arts. Olsen, who averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 86.4 percent on free throws, also gained entry into the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society in Economics and Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology.
Recent women's basketball graduate Samantha Steinmetz (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) and rising women's ice hockey senior Melissa Coughlin (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) both earned places in two honor societies. Steinmetz blocked 24 shots and averaged 4.0 rebounds while being recognized by Phi Beta Kappa and the Delta Epsilon Sigma National Catholic Honor Society. Coughlin became a member of Kappa Delta Pi (education) and Psi Chi (psychology). She netted a goal while dishing out three assists during the winter.
Rising senior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears), a teammate of Coughlin's, was also honored by Kappa Delta Pi (education) after leading all Division II and III women's ice hockey goalies with 884 saves, a school record. Rising senior Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J./New Jersey Rockets), who led the women's ice hockey team with 10 goals and a team-high-tying 17 points, joined classmate and cross country runner Allison Fusco (Groton, Mass./Groton-Dunstable Regional) in Pi Sigma Alpha (political science).
Recent women's soccer graduate Mary Farnsworth (Morrisonville, N.Y./Saranac Central), a reserve goalkeeper who did not yield a goal during her career, secured a place in the Delta Epsilon Sigma National Catholic Honor Society. Rising men's ice hockey senior Colby MacDonald (Byfield, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors) was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the international honor society in history. MacDonald appeared in three games while battling through injuries.
Recent graduate Thomas Perekslis (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) and rising senior Heidi Chapman (Sanbornton, N.H./Winnisquam Regional) earned places in Sigma Xi, the scientific research society. Perekslis was among men's cross country's top two finishers five times last year, while Chapman appeared in eight swimming & diving meets. A member of both the men's soccer and tennis teams, rising senior Eric Parziale (Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest/Trinity [Conn.]) was inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the Honorary National Mathematics Society. He dished out one assist from the midfield on the pitch while winning seven tennis matches between singles and doubles.
Four Purple Knights were honored by Sigma Beta Delta, which honors superior records in business and accounting, as recent graduates Nathan Bryant (Lee, N.H./Oyster River), Garrett Clark (Hingham, Mass./Hingham), Eileen Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and Andrea Park (Tyngsboro, Mass./Tyngsboro) claimed the accolade. Bryant was among the Alpine skiing team's top three finishers in five races, Clark appeared in 12 games on defense for a men's lacrosse team that set a school record with 11 victories, and Park competed in five cross country races, cracking the top 25 on one occasion. Mullowney left her name on seven swimming & diving school records this year, qualified for three all-conference laurels and was named the region's top female swimmer while also winning six tennis matches.
May graduate Laura Ostrout (Northfield, Vt./Northfield) and rising senior Kayla Carnell (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) were inducted into Beta Beta Beta (biology). An all-region soccer midfielder, Ostrout had two assists while starting all 17 games last fall. Carnell served in a reserve capacity during 14 women's basketball contests.
