BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (June 12) - The Mountain East Conference (MEC) today announced that volleyball rising-senior Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) and former men's soccer player Martin Minuzzi (Cordoba, Argentina/Nazareth) were selected as the male and female finalists from Wheeling Jesuit University for the league's annual Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
 
Each institution in the MEC selected one female and one male as finalists for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding academic and athletic performance for the previous academic year. Each finalist will receive a plaque. The criteria to be nominated are: (1) a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average; (2) participated in at least 50 percent of the team's contests in a MEC-sponsored sport; (3) minimum of one year in residence at the institution.

Kramer helped the volleyball team secure both the MEC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament crowns last season. In addition to being a consensus All-American and Atlantic Region Player of the Year, Kramer was a Google Cloud Academic All-District II First Team selection.

Minuzzi helped lead the Cardinals to the MEC Championship game and was a United Soccer Coaches All-Region honoree. After the season, Minuzzi was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Third Team. He became the first men's soccer player in school history to receive the honor, and just the fourth student-athlete in Wheeling Jesuit history to be tabbed an Academic All-American.
 
Along with Kramer, the female finalists are: Jenna Witt (Concord University, Softball), Sierra Kotchman (Fairmont State University, Basketball), Karra Smith(Glenville State College, Softball), Norah Barnes (Notre Dame College, Soccer), Peyton Lindblad (Shepherd University, Volleyball), Kristine Gegeshidze (University of Charleston, Tennis), Madison Davis (Urbana, Volleyball), Stephanie Leonard (West Liberty University, Volleyball), Laura Isbey (West Virginia State, Tennis).
 
The male finalists joining Minuzzi are: Jason Weitzel (Concord University, Cross Country/Track), Tyler Virtue (Fairmont State University, Swimming), Shawn Arthur (Glenville State College, Track & Field), Austin Treneff (Notre Dame College, Football), Brenton Doyle (Shepherd University, Baseball), John Cominsky (University of Charleston, Football), Mikal Toliver (Urbana University, Football), Dalton Bolon (West Liberty University, Basketball), Connor Slagill (West Virginia State, Football).
 
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year is determined by a vote of the administrators in the Mountain East Conference and the league office. The female award winner will be announced later this month. In 2017, former Wheeling Jesuit volleyball player Kayce Krucki was bestowed the honor.

Additionally, the MEC will also be announcing several of its annual awards over the coming weeks, including Male Sports Coach of the Year, Female Sports Coach of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year. 

Previous Winners
Male
2015: Conor Branson (Charleston, Soccer)
2016: Conor Branson (Charleston, Soccer)
2017: Dan Monteroso (West Liberty, Basketball)
2018: Dan Monteroso (West Liberty, Basketball)

Female
2015: Nichole Perry (Charleston, Basketball)
2016: Lauren Langenderfer (Notre Dame, Basketball)
2017: Kayce Krucki (Wheeling Jesuit, Volleyball)
2018: Mackenzie Harrison (Fairmont State, Volleyball)