CAA Spring Scholar-Athletes Announced
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (June 21, 2015) – Eleven student-athletes from six different schools who excelled both athletically and academically have been honored by the Colonial Athletic Association as recipients of the CAA Scholar-Athlete Award for the spring sports season.
The conference honors one Scholar-Athlete in each of its 21 championship sports. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve on their team and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The winners were selected by a vote of the media relations directors at each CAA institution.
All 11 recipients earned All-CAA honors in their respective sports this season and they each have a cumulative grade point average over 3.35.
Earning Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors were College of Charleston junior
Taylor Clarke in baseball, College of Charleston senior
Zach Munroe in men’s golf, College of Charleston sophomore
Laura Fuenfstueck in women’s golf, Fairfield senior
Tristan Sperry in men’s lacrosse, William & Mary senior
Ellen Shaffrey in women’s lacrosse, Northeastern senior
Chloe Laverack in rowing, Hofstra junior
Caryn Bailey in softball, William & Mary senior
Will Juggins in men’s tennis, UNCW senior
Alyssa Ritchie in women’s tennis, William & Mary junior
Brian Waterfield in men’s track and field, and William & Mary junior
Emily Stites in women’s track and field.
Here is a brief biographical sketch on the award winners:
Taylor Clarke, Jr., Ashburn, Va./Broad Run – College of Charleston (baseball)
A junior majoring in business administration, Clarke was selected to the CAA All-Academic team in baseball for the second year in a row. He is a three-time member of the CofC Athletic Director Honor Roll and received Highly Distinguished Faculty Honors in 2013. Clarke had a sensational season on the mound for the Cougars, receiving first-team All-America accolades from numerous media outlets and becoming one of the three finalists for National Pitcher of the Year honors. He set the CAA and CofC season record for wins with a 13-1 mark and topped the conference with a 1.73 ERA and a school-record 143 strikeouts, earning CAA Pitcher of the Year. He tossed a pair of complete games and picked up a save in his only relief appearance. Clarke was selected in third round of the recent Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Zach Munroe, Sr., Charlotte, N.C./Providence – College of Charleston (men’s golf)
A senior majoring in finance, Munroe was a member of the CAA All-Academic team in men’s golf this season. He was chosen as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar in 2014 and is hopeful to repeat that honor this year. On the course, Munroe was named to the All-CAA first team in 2015 after helping lead CofC to its second straight CAA championship and NCAA Regionals appearance. He also made the CAA All-Tournament team after a runner-up finish at the conference championship. Munroe was the highest-ranked player in the CAA (No. 243) this season according to GolfWeek and was second nationally with 10 eagles. He fired a career-low 65 this season at The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.
Laura Fuenfstueck, So., Langen, Germany/GC Neuhof – College of Charleston (women’s golf)
A sophomore who is still undecided on a major, Fuenfstueck was one of eight student finalists in a contest conducted by the CofC School of Business to promote entrepreneurship. She’s a CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award recipient. On the course, Fuenfstueck was selected as the CAA Women’s Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading CofC to back-to-back conference titles and NCAA Regional appearances. She also made the CAA All-Tournament team after a runner-up finish at the conference championship. Fuenfstueck finished the season with a 73.87 stroke average, which was the third-lowest in school history.
Tristan Sperry, Sr., Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs – Fairfield (men’s lacrosse)
A senior with a double major in finance and marketing, Sperry was chosen as a USILA Scholar All-American. He also was named to the NEILA All-Academic squad and previously earned ECAC All-Academic awards. On the field, Sperry was selected to the All-CAA first team this season after leading Fairfield with 47 points on 23 goals and a team-high 24 assists. The Stags’ attackman scored a point in every game this season and helped lift his team to the CAA regular-season title. Sperry tallied four points in the semifinals of the CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship and earned a spot on the CAA All-Tournament team. He was chosen to participate in the USILA North-South Game after the season.
Ellen Shaffrey, Sr., Charlottesville, Va./Western Albemarle – William & Mary (women’s lacrosse)
A senior majoring in kinesiology, Shaffrey was selected to the Capital One Academic All-America third team in 2015. She received W&M’s Robert Usry Award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the end of their junior year, and the Lord Botetourt Medal, one of W&M’s most prestigious honors, at Commencement. Shaffrey is a four-time recipient of the W&M Provost Award and has twice made the CAA All-Academic team for women’s lacrosse. On the field, Shaffrey made the All-CAA second team in 2015 after setting W&M season (57) and career (156) records for draw controls. She also led the Tribe and ranked among the top 10 in the CAA with 35 goals and 41 points this season and had 109 career points.
Chloe Laverack, Sr., Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug – Northeastern (rowing)
A senior majoring in chemistry, Laverack received the 2015 Jeanne Rowlands Award as Northeastern’s top senior female scholar-athlete. She is a three-time CRCA National Scholar Athlete and is a three-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award. Laverack received All-CAA honors for the second year in a row in 2015 after helping lead Northeastern to its third conference title in the past four seasons. She was also selected to the CRCA All-Region team in 2014 and 2015. Laverack was a member of two NCAA Championship squads, which were the Huskies’ first team appearances in school history.
Caryn Bailey, Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown Area – Hofstra (softball)
A junior majoring in exercise science, Bailey is a two-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award. On the field, she was a first-team NFCA All-Region selection in 2015 and was also selected to the All-CAA first team. Bailey batted a team-best .386, topped the CAA with 16 home runs and ranked third in the conference with 52 RBI’s. She played a key role in the Pride capturing the CAA Championship after going 6-for-9 with a tournament-record four homers, six runs scored and eight RBI to earn a spot on the CAA All-Tournament team. Bailey was named USA Softball’s National Collegiate Player of the Week on May 12. Her 32 career home runs in three seasons are just eight shy of the Pride’s all-time mark.
Will Juggins, Sr., Lingfield, Surrey, UK/Oxted School – William & Mary (men’s tennis)
A senior who majored in finance, Juggins was selected to the CAA men’s tennis All-Academic team in 2015. He is a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete honoree and is also a three-time recipient of the W&M Provost’s Award. On the court, Juggins earned first-team All-CAA accolades in doubles this season after making the second team in 2014 and was chosen to the All-CAA second team in singles for the second year in a row. He was also voted as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2015 CAA Men’s Tennis Championship after providing the match-clinching point as the Tribe claimed their first conference title since 2005 and earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Alyssa Ritchie, Sr., Franklin, Ohio/Waynesville – UNCW (women’s tennis)
A senior who majored in biology, Ritchie was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District squad in 2015. She received the UNCW Chancellor’s Cup as the top female scholar-athlete and was chosen to the CAA women’s tennis All-Academic team for the second year in a row. She has been accepted into the Ohio University School of Osteopathic Medicine. On the court, Ritchie earned first-team All-CAA honors in singles in 2015 after compiling a 14-3 overall record. The Seahawks’ team captain was also 13-4 in doubles. A four-time All-CAA performer, Ritchie completed her career with an impressive 62-13 mark in singles and a 54-20 record in doubles.
Brian Waterfield, R-Jr., Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge – William & Mary (men’s track & field)
A redshirt junior who majored in finance, Waterfield is a three-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award. He will be pursuing a Master’s in accounting this fall while completing his eligibility. Waterfield was the CAA champion in the hammer throw with a conference-record throw of 203-1. He was the only man to score in all four throwing events at the 2015 CAA Championship, also placing third in the discus, fifth in the shot put and sixth in the javelin. Waterfield set a new school record in the hammer throw (209-4) at the Penn Relays and placed 29
th in the event at the NCAA East Semifinals. He’s the only man in Tribe history to rank among the top 16 in all six throwing events (indoor & outdoor).
Emily Stites, Jr., Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming – William & Mary (women’s track & field)
A junior majoring in marketing, Stites is a two-time member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic team for track and field. She was the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in cross country in 2013. Stites earned All-America honors after placing third in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Track & Field Championship. It was her seventh career All-America award (cross country, indoor and outdoor track), which is a W&M record. Stites was the CAA champion in the 5,000 meters with a meet-record time of 16:12. She was also the ECAC champion in the 3,000 meters with a lifetime-best time of 9:11. Stites set a new meet and stadium record in the 10,000 meters at the Colonial Relays and was third in the 10,000 at the NCAA East Semifinals.