EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University senior back Sydney McCarthy is a repeat selection as the PSAC field hockey "Champion Scholar" as the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average at the PSAC Final Four, announced Friday.

McCarthy (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg), an Exercise Science major, has a 4.0 GPA through 105 credits at ESU.

She is ESU's second PSAC Champion Scholar this fall, joining Nicole Abbott (women's soccer), who was recognized Thursday.

McCarthy and Abbott are ESU's 10th and 11th PSAC Champion Scholars since the recognition was first awarded in 2011-12. McCarthy is ESU's first repeat honoree.

She was named the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year on Thursday, earning first team All-PSAC status at back after being named to the second team as a midfielder as a junior.

McCarthy has 10 goals and 10 assists for a team-leading 30 points. She has a hand in 20 of ESU's 62 goals, while helping the Warriors defense allow just 17 goals through 19 games.

She was twice named the NFHCA Division II Athlete of the Week early in the season, compiling six goals and seven assists through the first seven games. Defensively, ESU has 10 shutouts while allowing just one goal in five other games.

ESU (16-3) plays Millersville in the PSAC semifinals on Friday afternoon at Shippensburg (3:30 p.m.), looking to advance to its second PSAC championship game in three years.

McCarthy is ESU's last remaining starter from its 2015 team which won the first PSAC and NCAA DII championships in program history.

She was previously named the NCAA DII "Elite 90" Award recipient as the student-athlete with the top GPA at the national championship site as a sophomore in 2015.


ESU's PSAC "Champion Scholars"
2011-12 - Lisa Lower, women's cross country
2012-13 - Tony Vorndran, wrestling
2013-14 - Joseph Hoy, wrestling
2014-15 - Dan Ingulli, wrestling
                Alex Zubko, men's outdoor track & field
2015-16 - Danielle Swingle, women's outdoor track & field
2016-17 - Sydney McCarthy, field hockey
            Andrea Polanco, women's soccer
            Jeremy Rigotti, men's outdoor track & field
2017-18 - Nicole Abbott, women's soccer
            Sydney McCarthy, field hockey