Lehigh hands out team awards at annual banquet
4/23/2015 4:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh men's basketball team wrapped up the 2014-2015 season at its annual "Zell" Awards Banquet on Sunday, April 19 in the University Center. The afternoon helped recognize Lehigh men's basketball student-athletes and coaches for hard work and dedication throughout the year. There was a highlight video, senior reflections and awards were handed out to several student-athletes who earned recognition, both in the classroom and on the court.
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Senior guard Stefan Cvrkalj took home one of the top team accolades for a second straight year, the Scholar-Athlete Award, for his strong academic performance. As an Accounting major, the Ontario native has achieved a 3.75 cumulative GPA and has been recognized for his academic performance throughout his career, qualifying for the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll after his freshman, sophomore and junior years. On the court, Cvrkalj was a reliable performer off the bench in 2014-15, appearing in 25 of the team's 30 games and averaging nearly 10 minutes per appearance. Â
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For a second consecutive season, senior captain Corey Schaefer was presented with the Coaches Award, which recognizes a student-athlete who made significant contributions to the well-being of the team in terms of attitude, improvement or special leadership. Schaefer has continued to work hard as a basketball player and student. The Johnston, Iowa native started all 29 games that he played this season and averaged 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In addition to his strong veteran leadership on the court, Schaefer has impressed in the classroom, too, achieving Patriot League Honor Roll distinction twice in his Lehigh career. He was also named a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.
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The Athlete of the Year award was presented to sophomore center Tim Kempton for his exemplary performance throughout the season. Kempton distinguished himself as Lehigh's standout offensive performer. After winning Patriot League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, the 6-foot-10, 225-pound big man took his game to a new level in 2014-15, averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was named the Patriot League Player of the Year, an AP Honorable Mention All-American, an ECAC All-Star and NABC All-District honoree.
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Rounding out the awards was the Sixth Man Award, presented to strength and conditioning coach Eric Markovcy. Markovcy has worked at Lehigh since 2003 and has been instrumental in training the Mountain Hawks.
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The Mountain Hawks finished the season with a 16-14 record, going 10-8 in the Patriot League to earn the #3 seed in the league tournament. After a tough start, Lehigh made impressive strides as the season progressed, winning seven-of-eight games beginning in mid-January to jump near the top of the league standings. The Mountain Hawks defeated a pair of power conference programs in DePaul and Arizona State while finishing 3-3 against teams who made the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Lehigh returns its six leading scorers next season, including the reigning Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year, as excitement around the program continues to rise.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.Â
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Senior guard Stefan Cvrkalj took home one of the top team accolades for a second straight year, the Scholar-Athlete Award, for his strong academic performance. As an Accounting major, the Ontario native has achieved a 3.75 cumulative GPA and has been recognized for his academic performance throughout his career, qualifying for the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll after his freshman, sophomore and junior years. On the court, Cvrkalj was a reliable performer off the bench in 2014-15, appearing in 25 of the team's 30 games and averaging nearly 10 minutes per appearance. Â
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For a second consecutive season, senior captain Corey Schaefer was presented with the Coaches Award, which recognizes a student-athlete who made significant contributions to the well-being of the team in terms of attitude, improvement or special leadership. Schaefer has continued to work hard as a basketball player and student. The Johnston, Iowa native started all 29 games that he played this season and averaged 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In addition to his strong veteran leadership on the court, Schaefer has impressed in the classroom, too, achieving Patriot League Honor Roll distinction twice in his Lehigh career. He was also named a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.
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The Athlete of the Year award was presented to sophomore center Tim Kempton for his exemplary performance throughout the season. Kempton distinguished himself as Lehigh's standout offensive performer. After winning Patriot League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, the 6-foot-10, 225-pound big man took his game to a new level in 2014-15, averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was named the Patriot League Player of the Year, an AP Honorable Mention All-American, an ECAC All-Star and NABC All-District honoree.
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Rounding out the awards was the Sixth Man Award, presented to strength and conditioning coach Eric Markovcy. Markovcy has worked at Lehigh since 2003 and has been instrumental in training the Mountain Hawks.
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The Mountain Hawks finished the season with a 16-14 record, going 10-8 in the Patriot League to earn the #3 seed in the league tournament. After a tough start, Lehigh made impressive strides as the season progressed, winning seven-of-eight games beginning in mid-January to jump near the top of the league standings. The Mountain Hawks defeated a pair of power conference programs in DePaul and Arizona State while finishing 3-3 against teams who made the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Lehigh returns its six leading scorers next season, including the reigning Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year, as excitement around the program continues to rise.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.Â
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Players Mentioned
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