Troch Named America East Fall Scholar-Athlete

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Kristi Troch, a senior on the University at Albany field hockey team, was one of six student-athletes honored by the America East for demonstrating excellence both on the field and in the classroom last semester, as an America East Fall 2012 Scholar-Athlete.

Troch was joined by winners Liam Paddock (men’s soccer) from UMBC , Eric Speakman (men’s cross country) from Stony Brook University, Binghamton University’s Grace Vickers (volleyball), University of Hartford’s Amelia Pereira (women’s soccer) and Stony Brook University’s Olivia Burne (women’s cross country). Including Troch, four of the six selections were members of America East championship-winning squads this fall.

A committee of athletic administrators and NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives chose an honoree in each of the six fall championship sports. Each America East Scholar-Athlete was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.30. Each honoree will automatically be eligible for the America East Female or Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award to be announced this summer.

Troch (Leighton, Pa.) earned field hockey Scholar-Athlete honors for the second time in her career after also earned the award as a sophomore following the 2010 season. The senior was named America East Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, becoming the conference’s first field hockey player to earn a major award three times. Troch, who led Albany to its third America East title in five years, ranked sixth in the nation with a 1.19 goals-against average. A human biology major with a 3.63 GPA, Troch earned a spot on the NFHCA Academic All-America squad this year and is a three-time America East All-Academic selection.

In addition to Troch, the UAlbany fall sports as a whole boasted academic success in 2012 with 74 athletes being named to the America East’s Fall Honor Roll. UAlbany also had 40 student-athletes named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll, earning a 3.5 GPA or higher during the fall 2012 semester.