Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Sat., Nov. 17, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Swimming & Diving

Horsington receives SUNYAC's Molnar Award

FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State senior Scott Horsington (Churchville/Churchville-Chili) has been named the recipient of the Dr. Sam Molnar Award, given annually to a male student-athlete with the best combination of athletic and academic ability in the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Horsington, a diver on the men's swimming and diving team, has won SUNYAC titles in his specialty and has received All-American distinction while excelling in the classroom. He carries a 3.91 grade-point average over eight semesters as music education/music performance major.

Over 900 junior and senior men in the conference were nominated for the award, which was announced this week at SUNYAC's annual fall meeting in Syracuse.

"This award," Fredonia State Director of Athletics Greg Prechtl said, "is a terrific honor for Scott; the swimming, diving, and athletic program; and the university."

In 2004, Horsington was unbeaten throughout the season (22-0), was named First Team All SUNYAC and SUNYAC's Most Outstanding Diver after winning conference titles in men's 1-meter and 3-meter springboard competitions. His best scores of the season set school records and earned him a berth in the NCAA championships. He choose not to compete in order to fulfill a previous academic commitment.

Horsington sat out the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons to concentrate on his studies. He returned to the team for the 2006-07 season and proceeded to break his previous records and become Second Team All SUNYAC. Making his first trip to nationals, Horsington was 12th in the 1-meter competition and 13th in the 3-meter to earn NCAA Division III Honorable Mention All-American status. He also was named the SUNYAC Chancellor's Award winner in swimming and diving for having the highest grade-point average among the members of the all-conference team.

Last summer, Horsington and three Blue Devil teammates performed as stunt high-divers for Watershow Productions, Inc., at the Kennywood theme park near Pittsburgh, Pa. In the early meets this season, Horsington has re-set one school record and has already posted a NCAA qualifying score.

"I feel," Horsington said, "that because I was involved in two very different disciplines -- athletics and music -- that I have found a kind of common denominator between the two. The pressure of competing dives with grace and poise taught me how to carry myself with grace and poise on stage. The intensely focused technical practicing I’ve used for clarinet has carried over into diving, giving me a strong work ethic to achieve near perfection. Both areas of studies have helped me to develop a strong kinesthetic sense, giving me the ability to quickly learn other instruments and make adjustments as necessary."

Horsigton is the seventh Fredonia State student-athlete to receive the Dr. Molnar Award, instituted in 1977-78 to honor Dr. Sam Molnar, a SUNYAC past president and athletic administrator at SUNY Potsdam. The previous Blue Devils to win the award were Neil Moore (1979-80), Don Brenner (1981-82), Bret Johantgen (1989-90), Jeff Winden (1993-94), Tom Cordaro (1996-97), and Matt Aboudara (2000-01).

Athletics Home | Fredonia Home