Dewart and Ecker Honored at Senior Scholar-Athletes
Ithaca seniors Emma Dewart (Barker/Barker) and Seth Ecker (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) have been named the 2011-2012 Empire 8 Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winners. The award honors one male and one female student-athlete who best exemplify what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
Conference faculty athletic representatives nominate eligible student-athletes with a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Dewart is a two-time NCAA champion in the pentathlon and the program's most decorated athlete with 11 all-America finishes. She holds nine school records; six individual records and three relay records. A five-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year, Dewart is a 16-time Empire 8 champion, 22-time New York State Collegiate Track Conference champion and a four-time Eastern College Athletic Conference champion. She has been named Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Year on eight occasions and collected NYSCTC Field Athlete of the Meet honors four times.
“Emma exemplifies what the NCAA, Empire 8 and Ithaca College wants a Division III student-athlete to be,” said Ithaca track and field coach Jennifer Potter. “She is a motivated, self-disciplined and hardworking student-athlete who puts academic success as her first priority. All of these qualities are what make a national champion”.
Dewart is an eight time Empire Presidents' List honoree who graduated this spring with a degree in health and physical education. She is a two-time NCAA Academic All-American and the 2011 USTFCCCA Indoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. At Ithaca, she has received numerous academic honors, including the Peggy Ryan Williams Award, L. Hill & A. Newens Scholar, Dean’s list each semester and Leadership Scholar recognition.
Ecker won NCAA titles at 133 pounds as a junior and senior, becoming the program's first two-time national champion. Ecker was a three-time all-American (he took sixth as a freshman) and is the only two-time winner of the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) Wrestler of the Year. He was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2009. He went 30-4 during his senior season and posted a career record of 108-20. He's ninth all time in wins as a Bomber.
“Seth’s attitude, leadership and dedication has inscribed a deep impression on all of his teammates and coaches”, said Ithaca head coach Martin Nichols. “His outstanding qualities have set the expectation for future Ithaca wrestlers both on and off the mats”.
Ecker graduated in May 2012 with a degree in Business Administration. At Ithaca, he has received numerous academic honors, including Oracle Society, Beta Gamma Sigma (business honors) and Dean’s List recognition. He is a two-time NCAA first-team academic all-American and was named the 2012 Men's At-Large Academic All-American of the Year. Ecker was named to the ECWC All-Academic Team each of the past three years and is also a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar-Athlete.