FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, January 17, 2008

CONTACT: Ted Breidenthal 816/474-7264, ext. 119 tbreidenthal@d3independents.org www.d3independents.org

 

Austin, Harrington Named Association of Division III Independents

Student-Athlete of the Month Award Winners for December

 

KANSAS CITY, MO.--- Center Ruchelle Austin of the College of New Rochelle and forward Nick Harrington of Southern Vermont College were named today as the recipients of the Association of Division III Independents Student-Athlete of the Month awards for December.

Austin, a senior nursing major from Brooklyn, NY, averaged 24.7 points, 21.3 rebounds, and two steals per game during December. She had a double-double in every game she played, including a 32-point, 23-rebound, four-blocks effort during a December 12 loss to Yeshiva, and a 27-point, 27-rebound, five-steal outing during a loss to Old Westbury three days later. Austin was named the PrestoSports/Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association (MBWA) Player of the Week and the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 13.  She currently leads Division III in rebounding.

Harrington, a senior business administration major from Brooklyn, NY, averaged a double-double with 24.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in five December contests.  The team captain also shot 66 percent from the field (47-of-71).  His best games of the month were his final two of the semester, which included a 33-point effort December 8 against  Union and a 34-point, 16-rebound effort against Elms December 6th.  Harrington also had 12 steals during the five-game stretch and led his team in scoring each game.

The Association of Division III Independents consists of 21 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in nine sports in 2007-08.  The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.  The Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports.  In addition, it also will announce All-Independent teams at the conclusion of nine sports this year. 

All competing student-athletes from the Association’s 21 members were eligible for the award.  Each school was allowed to nominate its top performing male and female student-athletes from December.  The award recipients were selected after a vote of the Association’s Student-Athlete Recognition Committee.

More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at http://www.d3independents.org.