Cresson -Mount Aloysius College has won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s "Peak Performance Award for Academic Excellence." This annual award is presented to the institution in this 10-college conference with the highest percentage of student athletes winning a place on the AMCC Academic Honor Roll.  This is the inaugural year for this award in the conference, and recognizes the important role of student athletes in the academic side of campus life.

Mount Aloysius College President Tom Foley expressed his appreciation to the students, to the faculty and coaching staff for the accomplishment. ““Winning on the field is great and we all cheer for that. Winning in the classroom, however, is the focal point of our mission here at Mount Aloysius College.  This award is really the direct result of the extraordinarily close connection between faculty, staff and students here at Mt Aloysius College."  Athletic Director Ryan Smith added, “We applaud these fine student-athletes for the accomplishment of the first ever AMCC Peak Performance Award for Academic Excellence. And we also grateful to our faculty and to our coaches for their encouragement and support of these academic winners.”   Board of Trustees Chairman Dan Rullo, himself a member of the Pitt Football Hall of Fame, said that "Everyone associated with Mount Aloysius College can be Mountie Proud today.” 

With just over 50 percent of its student-athletes earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher, Mount Aloysius has the highest percentage of student-athletes named to the AMCC’s Academic All-Conference team of the 10 AMCC institutions. The announcement of the award coincides with the NCAA’s celebration of Division III Week, April 9-15.

Overall, 37 percent of AMCC student-athletes achieved a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA by the conclusion of the Fall 2011 semester. An additional 106 student-athletes were selected as members of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Student-Athlete Honor Society. Chi Alpha Sigma induction requires an academic class rank of junior or senior, a minimum GPA of 3.4, and demonstration of good moral character.  Seventeen Mount Aloysius student-athletes were named to Chi Alpha Sigma—the largest class in the college’s history--and also the largest percentage of inductees in the conference.

Chi Alpha Sigma honorees from Mount Aloysius College included:  Luke Fragello (men’s soccer), Donora, Pa.; Mike Goddissart (baseball), New Paris, Pa.;  Nicola Johnson (women’s soccer), Altoona, Pa.; Whitney Johnson (women’s soccer), Altoona, Pa.; Kyle Lawson (baseball), Cranberry Township, Pa.; Carter Lehman (baseball), Stoystown, Pa.; Nathan Lindsley (baseball), Narragansett, RI; Erica Matko (women’s basketball), Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Matt Metzger (baseball), Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Brett Oswalt (golf), South Fork, Pa.; Chelsea Perehinec (volleyball), Altoona, Pa.; Dani Rhoades (women’s basketball), Lewistown, Pa.; Megan Brown (softball), Warrior's Mark, Pa.; Jordan Roberts (golf), Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Jacob Stumpf (baseball), Big Run, Pa.; Dave Tran (cross country), Blairsville, Pa.; Conner Walsh (cross country), North Plainfield, NJ and Mandy Zaebst (cross country), Hollidaysburg, Pa.

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In addition to Mount Aloysius College, affiliated schools include: D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY; Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH; Hilbert College, Hamburg, NY; La Roche College, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Medaille College, Buffalo, NY; Penn State Altoona, Altoona, Pa.; Penn State Erie, Erie, Pa.; University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, Pa. and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Greensburg, Pa.