America East Names Hunsberger to Academic, Kiviat to Rookie Squads

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Binghamton women’s lacrosse team landed a pair of student-athletes on the America East all-conference and all-academic teams, as announced by the conference Wednesday. Freshman Renee Kiviat was named to the All-Rookie team, while junior Katherine Hunsberger earned All-Academic honors. Kiviat is the ninth Bearcat to be named to the All-Rookie team since joining the America East in 2002. Hunsberger’s selection marks the second straight year a Binghamton player earned All-Academic recognition.

In her first season at Binghamton, Kiviat was third on the team with 32 draw controls adding nine goals and three assists from her midfield position. She also ranked fifth on the team with 15 ground balls, while contributing seven caused turnovers. The Bearcats have placed a freshman on the All-Rookie team for the eighth time in its 11-year history.

“I’m very excited for Renee as I’m sure she is… this was one of her goals from day one,” head coach Tony Zostant said. “She has worked through an injury plagued season and being honored will have made it all worth it.”
An integrated neuro organismic track major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.59, Hunsberger was one of five unanimous all-academic selections. She finished fourth in the conference in draw controls per game (3.18) and is a two-time America East Honor Roll nominee. Last year she helped Binghamton earn the conference’s top GPA and IWLCA Team Academic Honor Roll recognition. Hunsberger was inducted in the National College Athlete Honor Society in 2010 and is the third Binghamton player named to the America East All-Academic team, joining Lauren Wetherell in 2006 and Lauren Scott in 2011.

“It’s great to see Katherine receiving this accolade – she’s in a very difficult major and deserving of it.” Zostant said. “Katherine is an extremely focused individual and always gets the job done. I could not be more proud of her accomplishments both on and off the field.”

Hunsberger had a breakout season in 2012, setting a BU single season record in draw controls with 51. The junior from Cortland, N.Y. also scored a career-high 34 goals, more than quadrupling her total from last year. She led the team in caused turnovers (17) and was second in ground balls (26). Against the No. 12 team in the nation, Cornell, Hunsberger tied the Binghamton’s single game record for draw controls with nine.

Binghamton completed its season with a 3-13 overall record, battling America East regular-season champion Boston University to the final minute in the season finale. Binghamton recorded a pair of 50-point scorers for the first time in program history as junior Kimberly McGeever tallied 56 points and senior Lis Zuern contributed 51 points. With her 51 points, Zuern became Binghamton’s first back-to-back 50-point scorer in school history.

Press release & photos provided by BU Athletics