FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU Department of Athletics has announced its sixth pair of 2019-20 monthly academic honorees. Women's golf senior
Ailsa Clark and baseball's senior
Hunter McGarry were named Scholar-Athletes of the Month for January.
A female and male Eagle are chosen as the FGCU Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Month throughout the academic year. Factors in the selection for this honor include a combination of significant athletic and overall academic success.
Clark (Navarre, FL/Navarre HS) carries a 3.83 GPA, majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. She's a seven-time Athletic Director's Honor Roll recipient, and a four time Dean's List member.
In six tournaments this year, Clark has recorded an average score of 74.4, producing five top 5 finishes, three being inside the top 15. This past weekend, the Eagles claimed the Amelia Island Collegiate title with a program record (in relation to par) 54-hole score of 860 (-4) on Tuesday. It is the second-straight championship for the Eagles after winning the Mid-American Match Play Challenge two weeks ago.
"It is very impressive to see how Ailsa is balancing her Exercise Science major and her sport," said head coach
Sarah Trew. "She's the epitome of the term 'student-athlete' and strives to be the best at everything she does. Whether it's in the classroom, at her internship or on the golf course."
McGarry (Bradenton, FL/State College of Florida/Bradenton Christian HS) holds a 3.50 GPA and majors in Integrated Studies. He's a three-time Athletic Director's Honor Roll member.
The right-handed pitcher has seen two appearances (5.1 IP) this season as the Eagles have played four games to start the 2020 year. Last week, the Bradenton native was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award Watch List for a second-straight year. McGarry enters his final campaign as an Eagle already ranked in multiple categories in the Green and Blue record book. His nine career saves is good for fifth in program history while his opponent batting average from 2019 (.215) ranks sixth-lowest in a single season. The 24 games McGarry finished last year etched a new single-season record for FGCU.
"Hunter is a great leader for our team. On the field he's one of the best closers we've ever had in this program," said head coach
Dave Tollett. "We sort of had him transition his role this season and he's handled it well. Off the field, he's a great kid, works hard in the classroom and is a great example for his teammates. We're proud that he's received this recognition because we know how hard he works at everything he does."
2019-20 Scholar-Athletes of the Month
August – Dana Axner (Volleyball) and Jahan Rajaee (Men's Soccer)
September – Evdokia Popadinova (Women's Soccer) and Marcelo Tebet (Men's Tennis)
October – Lindsey Patton (Women's Soccer) and Kareem Riley (Men's Soccer)
November – Cortney VanLiew (Volleyball) and TC Anderson (Men's Soccer)
December – Keri Jewett-Giles (Women's Basketball) and Caleb Catto (Men's Basketball)
January –
Ailsa Clark (Women's Golf) and
Hunter McGarry (Baseball)
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence.
Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 81 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
