Fanning Named Women’s Track Spring Co-Scholar-Athlete
America East Release
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – University at Albany senior Kathryn Fanning has been named America East Women’s Outdoor Track Co-Scholar-Athlete for the 2014 season, the conference offices announced Wednesday. Fanning, one of nine athletes recognized for the award, shares the outdoor track award with Cross Country and Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete Olivia Burne from Stony Brook. Additional winners were Hartford’s Tate Klidonas for men’s lacrosse, Vermont’s Vanessa VanderZalm for women’s lacrosse, Maine’s Kelton Cullenberg for men’s outdoor track, Binghamton’s Robin Lesage for men’s tennis, Stony Brook’s Cassandra Dix for women’s tennis, Binghamton’s Jake Thomas for baseball, and Stony Brook’s Allison Cukrov for softball.
Fanning, a native of Manlius, New York, pulled a 3.98 GPA as a Biology major. She is a published author in the Journal of Neuroscience and a researcher at the RNA Institute. Fanning has been named to the All-Academic squads for all three seasons during her senior year, cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter, and outdoor track in the spring. Additonally, she has earned All-Academic honors for outdoor track in 2013, indoor track in 2013 and 2012, and cross country in 2012 and 2011, accumulating a total of eight such awards. This year, she was granted the SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award, as well as the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Fanning was also nominated to the pool for America East Woman of the Year.
Athletically, Fanning broke her own school record in the 1,500 at America East Outdoor Championships, finishing second overall in 4:22.81. She earned a conference title as a member of UAlbany’s victorious 4×800 relay. After sitting out ECAC Championships for her graduation ceremony, Fanning returned to the track for the NCAA East Preliminaries, breaking her school record again in the 1,500, running 4:18.68. In addition to her school record in the 1,500, Fanning ranks fourth all-time in the 800 at 2:10.55. She leaves UAlbany as the school record holder in the indoor 1,000 (2:46.70) and mile (4:43.23), and as a member of the indoor distance medley relay (11:34.18) and outdoor 4×800 relay (8:48.82) as well.
The Scholar-Athletes were members of teams in the eight championship sports which America East sponsored in the winter season including men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and womens outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball and softball. Member institutions of the America East Conference for the 2013-14 spring season included Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, Maine, UMBC, UMass Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook and University of Vermont.
Nominees were put forward by their institution, which could nominate up to one student-athlete per sport. Then, a committee of athletic administrators and NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives chose an honoree in each of the five winter championship sports. Each America East Scholar-Athlete was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50. They will automatically be eligible for the America East Female or Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award to be announced in July.
