Monmouth Track and Field Student Athlete Earns Academic Momentum Award
2
NCAS AND SCHOLAR BALLER RECOGNIZE GEOFF NAVARRO January 31, 2012 Monmouth Sports Information ORLANDO, Fla. ‐ The Scholar‐Baller program, in conjunction with the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS), has listed Monmouth University track and field standout Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami) to its 2011 Third Team Academic Momentum Team. Honors were rewarded to student‐athletes based on academic improvement and the impact each student‐athlete's academic performance they had on his or her classmates, teammates, academic advisors, and professors. The organization, which honored 49 student‐athletes, received 89 nominations from 55 difference colleges and universities. "This honor means a lot to me," said Navarro. "It means that people here in [Monmouth] athletics actually thought of me in a high regard as they put me up for this award. I am in pretty elite company with the other student‐athletes that were honored. It also shows the other side of 'student‐athlete' which I don't think many people take into consideration; we are students before we are athletes. This is a list of people who are really good athletes that are also improving themselves in the classroom and I'm happy to be a part of it." The NCAS, established in 1985, is an ever‐growing organization of colleges and universities that provides opportunities for current and former student‐athletes to continue their pursuit of higher education, while working in the community with children to address social issues. The Scholar Baller movement, created in 1995, evolved in response to concerns that the student‐athlete's athletic role increasingly superseded the student role. In order to address this issue, the founding members of Scholar Baller developed a groundbreaking program to bridge the gap between education and sport utilizing student‐athletes' passion for entertainment and athletics. Last season, Navarro was the second leading scorer at the Northeast Conference Indoor Championships, taking second place in both the 60 meter dash and 200
-
Upload
scott-bukstein -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
0
description
Geoff Navarro is a recipient of hte 2011 Academic Momentum Award
Transcript of Monmouth Track and Field Student Athlete Earns Academic Momentum Award
NCASANDSCHOLARBALLERRECOGNIZEGEOFFNAVARRO
January31,2012MonmouthSportsInformation
ORLANDO,Fla.‐TheScholar‐Ballerprogram,inconjunctionwiththeNationalConsortiumforAcademicsandSports(NCAS),haslistedMonmouthUniversitytrackandfieldstandoutGeoffNavarro(MaysLanding,N.J./Absegami)toits2011ThirdTeamAcademicMomentumTeam.Honorswererewardedtostudent‐athletesbasedonacademicimprovementandtheimpacteachstudent‐athlete'sacademicperformancetheyhadonhisorherclassmates,teammates,academicadvisors,andprofessors.Theorganization,whichhonored49student‐athletes,received89nominationsfrom55differencecollegesanduniversities."Thishonormeansalottome,"saidNavarro."Itmeansthatpeopleherein[Monmouth]athleticsactuallythoughtofmeinahighregardastheyputmeupforthisaward.Iaminprettyelitecompanywiththeotherstudent‐athletesthatwerehonored.Italsoshowstheothersideof'student‐athlete'whichIdon'tthinkmanypeopletakeintoconsideration;wearestudentsbeforeweareathletes.ThisisalistofpeoplewhoarereallygoodathletesthatarealsoimprovingthemselvesintheclassroomandI'mhappytobeapartofit."TheNCAS,establishedin1985,isanever‐growingorganizationofcollegesanduniversitiesthatprovidesopportunitiesforcurrentandformerstudent‐athletestocontinuetheirpursuitofhighereducation,whileworkinginthecommunitywithchildrentoaddresssocialissues.TheScholarBallermovement,createdin1995,evolvedinresponsetoconcernsthatthestudent‐athlete'sathleticroleincreasinglysupersededthestudentrole.Inordertoaddressthisissue,thefoundingmembersofScholarBallerdevelopedagroundbreakingprogramtobridgethegapbetweeneducationandsportutilizingstudent‐athletes'passionforentertainmentandathletics.Lastseason,NavarrowasthesecondleadingscorerattheNortheastConferenceIndoorChampionships,takingsecondplaceinboththe60meterdashand200
meterdash.AttheNECOutdoorChampionships,whichMUhostedatKesslerField,NavarroguidedtheHawkstotheirthirdstraightteamtitle,takingsecondinthe100and200andanchoringthewinning4x100relay.Navarro,whohasgraduatedafterthreeandhalfyearswithadegreeinhealthstudiesandisnowworkingtowardshismastersincriminaljustice,qualifiedfortheIC4AChampionshipsintwoeventsthusfarthiswinter.AtArmy'sSix‐TeamMeet,theteamcaptainran7.04inthe60meterhurdlesand22.18inthe200toearnatriptoBostonforthechampionshipsinMarch."WeareveryproudofGeoffandthesuccesshehashadbothacademicallyandathletically,"saidheadcoachJoeCompagni."ThefirstyearcanbeabigadjustmentforourfreshmenanditisalwaysgreattoseesomeonelikeGeoffcometocollege,workthoughthechallengestomakethattransition,andthendevelopintooneofourteamleaders.Geoffisagreatexamplefortherestofourteam."Navarroadded,"CoachCompagniandCoach[Brian]Hirshblondhavebeenareallybighelptome.MyfreshmanyearIgotintoareallybadcaraccidentandIstruggledwithgoingtodoctorsandbeinganathlete.WhenwecamebackafterintersessioninJanuary,CoachJoesetmeupwithTinaSevastakis[AssistantAthleticDirectorforStudentDevelopment]andutilizingstudyhall.Iattributegoingtoclassandreadingasabigthingsthathelpedme[improvemyGPA],whichIdon'tthinkalotofourstudent‐athletesrealizeshowimportanttheyare.""Afterwinterbreak,IregainedafocusandIdecidedthatIdidn'tspendfiveyearsjusttogetmybachelors,"continuedNavarro."Iendeduptakingsummerclasses,startedgettinggoodgradesandthenIwantedtobeinschool.Iwantedtodomorethanjustgettingmybachelorswhichledtometomymastersprogram,whichisreallyinterestingandIenjoy."EachawardrecipientreceivedarecognitioncertificateandauthenticScholarBallermedal.
