Temple University Athletics
Five Owls Named AAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year
7.29.20 | Football, Men's Cross Country, Men's Tennis, Women's Fencing, Women's Track and Field
PHILADELPHIA -- Five Temple student-athletes were named the 2019-20 American Athletic Conference Scholar Athletes of the Year for their respective sports, announced AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco. Malia Hee (Female At-Large), Millie Howard (Women's Track and Field), Paolo Cucalon (Men's Tennis), Kevin Lapsansky (Men's Cross Country) and Matt Hennessy (Football) were each honored for their academic and athletic achievements.
Temple's five Scholar-Athletes of the Year marked the most honorees from one institution.Â
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards are given to a student-athlete in each American Athletic Conference-sponsored sport based on academic credentials and athletic accolades and performances. To be eligible, student-athletes must have attained a minimum of senior academic standing. The final selections are made by the conference's Faculty Athletic Representatives. Each Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient receives a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship.
Malia Hee earns the AAC Female At-Large Scholar-Athlete of the Year award to cap off a remarkable four-year career in the Cherry and White. The Vancouver, Wash. native was the sabre squad captain, and the sabre wins leader for the season with 62. Her career total of 235 tied with fellow senior Kerry Plunkett to set the record in all-time sabre wins. Hee had a team-best second-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also earned first-team USFCA All-Region honors and a second-team All-American nod. Hee finished her tenure on Broad Street with a 3.96 cumulative GPA as an Advertising major, and was named to the Trustee Ten list for the second year in a row for having one of the 10 highest GPAs of any Temple student-athlete. She was also named to the 2019-20 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area At-Large Team.
Millie Howard adds the American Athletic Conference Women's Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of Year honor to her impressive resume after graduating from Temple in May with a 3.98 GPA in Economics. The decorated student-athlete earned a plethora of academic awards at the conclusion of her senior year including Temple Trustee Ten, Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area, USTFCCCA All-Academic, CoSIDA Academic All-District and CoSIDA Academic All-American. On the track, Howard collected all-conference honors with a second-place finish in the mile and a bronze medal in the 800m. The North Yorkshire, England native earned a bib as the 11th seed in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was named an All-American for the first time in her career.
Paolo Cucalon earned the American Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor with his 3.71 GPA in Marketing. The Palmira, Colombia native was recently named an ITA Scholar-Athlete for his academic achievements. Cucalon finished his senior season with a singles record of 3-3 and a doubles mark of 3-4 before the year was cut short due to COVID-19. He collected a 3-2 doubles record with partner Marin Delmas in dual match action. The senior will earn his degree from Temple in August at the conclusion of the Summer II semester.Â
Kevin Lapsansky was named the AAC Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete award after he graduated from Temple with a 3.86 GPA as a Finance major with a minor in Sport Management. The Easton, Pa. native was one of the top runners for the Owls in his final season on Broad Street. At the American Championships, Lapsansky was the third in the Cherry and White and the 12th overall runner to cross the finish line to earn All-Conference honors, becoming the first runner at TU to earn All-Conference nods three times. He then ran to a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to earn All-Region status for the first time in his career. Â
Matt Hennessy has earned the American Athletic Conference Football Scholar Athlete Award for the second year in a row becoming just the second player in conference history (Adrian Valles, Cincinnati, Track & Field) to win multiple academic awards. Hennessy, who earned a degree in Finance in the spring of 2019 with a GPA of 3.66, finished his four year career at Temple playing in 38 games and earning national recognition for his performance in his redshirt junior season in 2019. He was the captain of an experienced offensive line and was awarded an honorary single digit in 2018. Hennessy was graded by Pro Football Focus as a top three center in the country his final season and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. He was the only Group of Five center ever to be named a finalist for the award in this decade. Hennessy earned multiple All-America honors and first team all-conference honors before foregoing his final season in order to pursue the NFL. He was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
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Temple's five Scholar-Athletes of the Year marked the most honorees from one institution.Â
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards are given to a student-athlete in each American Athletic Conference-sponsored sport based on academic credentials and athletic accolades and performances. To be eligible, student-athletes must have attained a minimum of senior academic standing. The final selections are made by the conference's Faculty Athletic Representatives. Each Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient receives a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship.
Malia Hee earns the AAC Female At-Large Scholar-Athlete of the Year award to cap off a remarkable four-year career in the Cherry and White. The Vancouver, Wash. native was the sabre squad captain, and the sabre wins leader for the season with 62. Her career total of 235 tied with fellow senior Kerry Plunkett to set the record in all-time sabre wins. Hee had a team-best second-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also earned first-team USFCA All-Region honors and a second-team All-American nod. Hee finished her tenure on Broad Street with a 3.96 cumulative GPA as an Advertising major, and was named to the Trustee Ten list for the second year in a row for having one of the 10 highest GPAs of any Temple student-athlete. She was also named to the 2019-20 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area At-Large Team.
Millie Howard adds the American Athletic Conference Women's Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of Year honor to her impressive resume after graduating from Temple in May with a 3.98 GPA in Economics. The decorated student-athlete earned a plethora of academic awards at the conclusion of her senior year including Temple Trustee Ten, Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area, USTFCCCA All-Academic, CoSIDA Academic All-District and CoSIDA Academic All-American. On the track, Howard collected all-conference honors with a second-place finish in the mile and a bronze medal in the 800m. The North Yorkshire, England native earned a bib as the 11th seed in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was named an All-American for the first time in her career.
Paolo Cucalon earned the American Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor with his 3.71 GPA in Marketing. The Palmira, Colombia native was recently named an ITA Scholar-Athlete for his academic achievements. Cucalon finished his senior season with a singles record of 3-3 and a doubles mark of 3-4 before the year was cut short due to COVID-19. He collected a 3-2 doubles record with partner Marin Delmas in dual match action. The senior will earn his degree from Temple in August at the conclusion of the Summer II semester.Â
Kevin Lapsansky was named the AAC Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete award after he graduated from Temple with a 3.86 GPA as a Finance major with a minor in Sport Management. The Easton, Pa. native was one of the top runners for the Owls in his final season on Broad Street. At the American Championships, Lapsansky was the third in the Cherry and White and the 12th overall runner to cross the finish line to earn All-Conference honors, becoming the first runner at TU to earn All-Conference nods three times. He then ran to a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to earn All-Region status for the first time in his career. Â
Matt Hennessy has earned the American Athletic Conference Football Scholar Athlete Award for the second year in a row becoming just the second player in conference history (Adrian Valles, Cincinnati, Track & Field) to win multiple academic awards. Hennessy, who earned a degree in Finance in the spring of 2019 with a GPA of 3.66, finished his four year career at Temple playing in 38 games and earning national recognition for his performance in his redshirt junior season in 2019. He was the captain of an experienced offensive line and was awarded an honorary single digit in 2018. Hennessy was graded by Pro Football Focus as a top three center in the country his final season and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. He was the only Group of Five center ever to be named a finalist for the award in this decade. Hennessy earned multiple All-America honors and first team all-conference honors before foregoing his final season in order to pursue the NFL. He was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Sabre
/ Women's Fencing
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/ Football
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Men's Cross Country
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