Cooksey and Joseph Named NEC Scholar Athletes
6/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
James Cooksey of the baseball team and Jesslyn Joseph of the women's lacrosse team were both named Northeast Conference Spring Scholar-Athletes in their respective sports on Monday. All Scholar-Athlete award winners must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours at their institution, maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20, and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team.
For Cooksey, it is his second consecutive honor, as he becomes the first baseball player to be named Scholar-Athlete in successive years since 2008-09. Sacred Heart has now had the baseball Scholar-Athlete in four of the past six seasons. Cooksey completed his undergraduate degree this past semester, graduating with a 3.87 GPA while double majoring in Finance and Business Economy. Still with a year of eligibility remaining, the relief pitcher was selected All-NEC for the second consecutive season. He led the team with 7 wins, 76.0 innings pitched, a .258 opposing batting average and two saves, and also ranked in the top three with a 3.79 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 24 appearances. A two time NEC Pitcher of the Week, those numbers placed him in the top eight of the NEC in each category except strikeouts.
Joseph becomes Sacred Heart's first ever NEC Scholar–Athlete in women's lacrosse. The junior, majoring in business, boasts a 3.788 GPA. On the field, she shared the team lead with 34 goals, ranking seventh in the conference with an average of 2.12 per game, en route to being named First Team All-NEC. In league action she raised her play, scoring 26 goals, which was one behind the conference leader. She was also second in points per game and shots per game, as well as third in draw controls per game. She led the team 38 draw controls. Scoring a dozen goals in the final two games of the year, she ended her season by earning the NEC Player of the Week honors.
Along with the Scholar-Athletes, the NEC announced its Spring Academic Honor Roll on Monday, consisting of student-athletes with a 3.20 or better grade-point average, as well as the Commissioner's Honor Roll, recognizing those student-athletes with a 3.75 or better grade point average. In total, Sacred Heart had 165 student-athletes named to the Academic Honor Roll, with 46 making it onto the Commissioner's Honor Roll.
