FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU Department of Athletics proudly unveiled its three finalists for the prestigious 2015 Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award on Friday. The winner will be announced during the department's annual Senior Send Off and Awards Ceremony Monday night, Apr. 27, at the Student Union Ballroom in the Cohen Center.
 
The Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor FGCU bestows upon a graduating senior student-athlete(s) and recognizes the ability of the winner to combine athletic and academic success (minimum 3.20 GPA). The 2015 Scholar-Athlete Award finalists include: swimmer Emma Svensson (Uppsala, Sweden/Celsiusskolan), softball player Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) and men's tennis member Jordi Vives (Barcelona, Spain/IES Ferran Tallada/USC).
 
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with a send-off program coordinated by the Eagles Council. The awards program will immediately follow and includes the presentation of the Community Service Award, Duane Swanson Sr. Most Inspirational Award, the Carl McAloose Spirit Award, the Eagle Team Spirit Award and the Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award, in addition to the Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award. The Most Outstanding Male & Female Athlete finalists will be announced that evening as well, with the eventual winners determined after the 2014-15 season is complete.
 
From 2003-09, the scholar-athlete award was given to the male and female student-athlete with the highest GPA. The 2014 recipient of the Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award – which now represents more than just success in the classroom – was Sarah Hansen, one of FGCU's most decorated student-athletes in history. A two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, Hansen was named the program's first-ever Division-I Capital One Academic All-America member, a Rhodes Scholar nominee and three-time A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
"We have been so blessed to have this outstanding trio representing us in so many ways throughout each of their phenomenal Eagle careers," said FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. "In turn, well beyond their significant individual accomplishments and milestones achieved, they have been true team leaders and have each spearheaded their program's historic results. Bottom-line, they all epitomize the definition of the words "student-athlete" and are amongst not only our finest ambassadors who have represented the Green and Blue, but have done so for the entire University on all levels throughout their FGCU tenures."
 
For more information, and to view former award recipients, visit FGCUAthletics.com/Awards. Below is more information on each of the three finalists.
 
EMMA SVENSSON
Svensson, who along with Carpenter was inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame earlier this month, has maintained a 3.89 GPA as an economics major and an honors student at the same time as she has set multiple program records in the pool.
 
The Swede became the team captain in 2013 and has been a mainstay on FGCU's President List for the last three years. Svensson was a research assistant for the FGCU Honors Program last year while having a concentration on the Eurozone crisis and finding business applications of calculus and behavioral economics. The mathmatics minor has spent her time volunteering in the community through the FGCU Actuarial Science Club, Hope for Haiti and Mesina Children's Hospital.
 
As a freshman in 2011-12, Svensson became the first Eagles' swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She was named a Mid-Major All-American and earned CCSA All-Conference honors in addition to being honored as CCSA's Most Outstanding Female Freshman Performer of the Championship Meet.
 
Her dominance continued throughout her sophomore campaign as she was selected as the NCAA Elite 89 Award Winner, again qualifying for the NCAA Championships while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and notching her first CCSA Swimmer of the Year award.
 
She followed the impressive performance with a 2013-14 that saw her receive College Swimming Coaches Association of America Honorable Mention All-America and set six FGCU program records: two individually (50 free (22.09), 100 free (49.13)) and four as a member of a relay team (200 free (1:30.24), 400 free (3:20.13), 200 medley (1:38.63), 400 medley (3:40.69)). Her performances in the 50 free and 400 free relays also set CCSA records. At the NCAA Championships, she scored FGCU points for the first time in program history, placing 12th in the 50-yard freestyle with a 22.33 time.
 
This season, the standout continued her spree of shattering records at the 2015 CCSA Championship meet, breaking her own mark in the 50 free with a CCSA and FGCU-program record time of 21.98. She was named CCSA Women's Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Championship Meet. At the NCAA Championships, she scored FGCU's first points of the meet, placing 12th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.12. Svensson also helped the Eagles earn their first-ever points in a relay event when the 200-yard team touched the pads in a time of 1:37.55 to finish eighth. She helped guide FGCU to a best-ever finish of 26th in the nation, perfectly accentuating her stellar athletic and academic career.
 
HEAD COACH NEAL STUDD ON SVENSSON
"Emma has been a leader of our program by example and as the team-voted captain. She has been a leader in the classroom, pool, community and campus. She will be remembered as the most successful swimmer in FGCU history and one of the NCAA's great student-athletes – a true female success story on every level. I have never come across a person who is more humble, selfless and a down-right nice person than Emma."
 
KELSEY CARPENTER
Carpenter has impacted the Southwest Florida and FGCU communities all while patrolling center field for the Eagles.
 
The exercise science major has held a 3.93 GPA while being a two-time recipient of the Robert and Bette Batson Scholarship, which only two students receive in the Exercise Science program. The last two years Carpenter has served as team captain the last two years and also became the founding president of FGCU's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. While maintaining a spot on the President's List or Dean's List every semester, Carpenter has volunteered 60 hours each for Habitat for Humanity and Summit Student Ministries.
 
A four-year starter, Carpenter has earned selections on the A-Sun Second Team (2013), A-Sun First Team (2014), A-Sun All-Tournament Team (2014) and this year was tabbed as the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, she led the A-Sun with a batting average of .432. Her exploits at the plate continued as she led the Blue and Green with 51 RBI, 76 hits and 10 doubles. Carpenter's .458 batting average with runners on base and her .505 on-base percentages were crucial in leading the Eagles to the A-Sun Championship final.
 
In previous seasons, Carpenter has also been named to NFCA All-South Region second and third teams, in addition to being a College Sports Madness A-Sun All-Conference First Team choice.
 
This season, the senior is the only player to start all 48 of the Eagles' games while batting a team-best .350 in 140 at bats. She leads the Green and Blue with 49 hits, 31 runs scored, three triples, five home runs, 31 RBI, 75 total bases, 18 walks and a .536 slugging percentage. She is also the only Eagle with double-figure putouts (71) to not record an error.
 
HEAD COACH DAVID DEIROS ON CARPENTER
"I have been a coach and educator for 20 years and Kelsey is easily in the top 1 percent of any student or athlete I have ever worked with. Her work ethic is off the charts. She is a role model for her teammates and they readily acknowledge that she is who they aspire to be. Most importantly, Kelsey is a fantastic person. She demonstrates impeccable moral character in all of her actions. She treats everyone she encounters with respect and empathy. Finally, Kelsey is a leader by example who has just scratched the surface of what she is truly capable of accomplishing."
 
JORDI VIVES
The winningest player in FGCU history, Vives has excelled not only on the court but in the classroom and throughout the community since transferring to the Eagles following his freshman campaign at USC where he won a national championship.
 
Earlier this month Vives earned his third-consecutive spot on the A-Sun Academic Team. He holds a 3.51 GPA while majoring in communications, and is one of only two student-athletes (Stetson's Chester Espie) to be named to the team each of the past three seasons.
 
A two-time Dean's List member, two-time Student-Athlete Honors Luncheon honoree, five-time AD Honor Roll selection, Vives was also FGCU's Northwestern Mutual Student-Athlete of the Month in October of 2013. He's also the recipient of the ITA's Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship award, and last year was named as FGCU's Co-Most Outstanding Athlete.
 
In the community, Vives has volunteered at the Naples Botanical Garden, Read Across America, Justin's Place (a drug and substance rehabilitation program) and several fundraisers at country clubs throughout SWFL. On campus he has also assisted at the Fly By Night event to support the FGCU Food Pantry and FGCU's largest fundraising gala Night at the Nest.
 
On the courts, Vives earlier this week returned the national rankings at No. 123 after helping FGCU to the program's first A-Sun Championship with a 4-3 win over host North Florida on Monday. Vives is one of eight players in the Sunshine State to be nationally ranked. He is one of only two A-Sun players to be ranked, joining Jack Findel-Hawkins from UNF.
 
The Barcelona, Spain, native has a 16-3 record on the doubles court to go along with his impressive 19-2 mark on the singles court. The 2015 First Team All-Conference member is also a perfect 6-0 against A-Sun opponents this season. The senior made history earlier in the year becoming the first player to win 100 total matches for the Green and Blue. He currently has 123 wins (47 doubles, 76 singles) in his FGCU career. He also became the winningest singles player in FGCU D-I history this season with 76 victories as he surpassed former great and current assistant coach Dean Tsamas (62).

Vives, who became FGCU's first nationally-ranked D-I player last year, finished last season ranked No. 45 in the country after putting together a record-setting season in which at one point he held the longest winning streak in the nation (14). He finished his junior campaign with a 35-5 overall record and 21-3 mark in the spring season, highlighted by being named A-Sun Player of the Year and winning an NCAA Championship match for the first time in FGCU history.
 
HEAD COACH CJ WEBER ON VIVES
"It has been an incredible blessing to have a player on the team who genuinely cares for each of his teammates and their development. He is a constant encouraging figure on the team, and it's amazing how he uses the national platform he has created for himself to elevate his teammates and to elevate FGCU. Jordi is simply a champion in all aspects of life. He inspires me to be a better coach every day, and FGCU tennis will forever be grateful for his contributions both on and off the court."
 
ABOUT FGCU
In just its 8th year as a Division-I member, FGCU has won a combined 45 conference regular season and tournament titles as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference and Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. In just its 4th year of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has made 19 total NCAA Championship appearances. Ticket information for upcoming events is available by calling 239-590-7145. Additional news and schedule information is available at FGCUAthletics.com. Follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEagles), Facebook (/FGCUAthletics), Instagram (@FGCUAthletics) and YouTube (/FGCUAthletics).
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.