Temple University Athletics
J.T. Noone, Mary Catherine Kinneman Named Top Student-Athletes At Breakfast Of Champions
4.29.09 | General
April 29, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University honored its best in athletics, both on and off the field, at its seventh annual Breakfast of Champions Wednesday morning. In all, over 300 Temple student-athletes were recognized for academic and athletic accomplishments with junior J.T. Noone of the men's soccer team being named the top male Student-Athlete of the Year and senior Mary Catherine Kinneman of the field hockey team earning the top female Student-Athlete of the Year award.
"The Breakfast of Champions is the perfect way to celebrate, as a community, what is special about athletics at Temple University," said Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw, who instituted the event in 2003, his first full year at the school. "We annually recognize the `best of the best' at Temple, and J.T and Mary Catherine are fine examples of what is good about intercollegiate athletics."
Noone, a native of Harrisburg, Pa (Central Dauphin), posted record breaking numbers this season. On the field the Owl midfielder earned Second Team All-America honors and set a new school record for assists in a season with 12 and ranked third nationally in assists per game. An economics major with a 3.78 cumulative grade point average, Noone was also named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas Senior College Men's Scholar All-America Soccer Team as well as ESPN The Magazine's First Team Academic All-America.
Kinneman, the 2008 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, started every game for the Owls and notched a career-high five assists. In addition, the senior back from Lansdale, Pa. (Lansdale Catholic), anchored a defensive unit that shut out three opponents during the season. The 2008 Magna Cum Laude graduate who is currently working towards a Master's of Science degree in finance was also selected as a member of the Second Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region and participated in the Division I Senior All-Star Game.
Besides Noone and Kinneman, 153 student-athletes were named to the Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 cumulative grade point average) with an additional 64 student-athletes to the President's Honor Roll (3.50 or above). Temple also honored its Trustee Ten, its top student-athletes in terms of grade point average - Noone, James Waddington (men's cross country/track), Erin Buchanan (women's rowing), Ann Stouffer (women's lacrosse), Blake Collins (men's gymnastics), Caitlin Pennington (women's rowing), Krystle Metzler (softball), Jackie Morrison (volleyball), Anastasiia Rukavyshnykova (women's tennis) and Charise Young (field hockey).
The men's gymnastics team won The Owl for the top Team GPA Award with an aggregate grade point average of 3.25 while the women's gymastics team captured the first Owl Cup, given to the team that has best exemplified the initiatives set forth by the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program: student-athletes supporting other student-athletes, excelling in and out of the classroom, attending CHAMPS/Life Skill workshops, volunteerism, and the promotion of a healthy and competitive campus environment.
Liz Watto (field hockey), Kaitlyn Uckert (fencing), Ryan Brooks (men's basketball) and Elisha Joseph (football) were named as the recipients of the Enterprise Spirit and Sportsmanship Award, given annually to student-athletes who have demonstrated a devotion to the essence of sport through their acts of sportsmanship.
Junior Dominique Harris (football) and senior Jillian Ploof (women's crew) were named the male and female recipients of the Temple Teammates Award, given to student-athletes who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the area of community service, inspiring others to engage in similar selfless civic endeavors for the purpose of improving the quality of life for those in the local community.
Senior Adam DiMichele (football) was named the inaugural NovaCare Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year while the newly-created T.E.A.M Awards, an acronym standing for Temple's Exceptional Acts for Mankind, was presented to the women's lacrosse and football teams for their extraordinary record of community service.
950 AM ESPN Radio's Don Tollefson served as the emcee for this year's Breakfast of Champions while Bill Mills, President of PNC, was the presenting sponsor.
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