DECEMBER 13, 2011

KING'S HOLLY MANNUCCI NAMED MAC SENIOR FIELD HOCKEY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ANNVILLE -- Over the course of her career, King's College field hockey standout Holly Mannucci (Old Bridge, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) has ranked among the finest defenders in the Middle Atlantic Conference.   Now, she stands as the top field hockey student-athlete in the conference.  On Monday afternoon, Mannucci earned one of the biggest honors of her career when she was named the 2011 MAC Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The award is based on a combination of academics, athletics, and community service. Mannucci will be honored at a MAC awards luncheon in May.

Mannucci has enjoyed a stellar academic and athletic careers at King's where she has compiled a 3.88 overall grade-point average as an Early Childhood Education and Special Education double-major. A three-year Dean's List student, Mannucci is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi Education Society and is a three-time MAC All-Academic selection.

Off the field, Mannucci has been active in both the local and King's communities. She has served as a volunteer for City Serve, St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, and the Kappa Delta Pi Book Fair. Mannucci and read to and tutored multiple students at Flood Elementary School, Dana Street Elementary School, and McGlynn Learning Center. She is a member of King's Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and King's Education Club.

On the field, she is a  two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association South Atlantic All-Regional choice as a defender and played in the 2011 NFHCA Senior All-Star Game during the NCAA Division III “Final Four” festivities.  Mannucci is a three-time All-Freedom Conference selection and was a 2011 Freedom Conference Goalie/Defender of the Week on October 24. Helped King's to four straight Freedom Conference Tournament berths, including berths in the Freedom championship game in 2009 and 2010.

"We are thrilled Holly has been selected for this outstanding honor as she is very deserving of the award," King's field hockey coach Cheryl Ish stated. "She has worked extremely hard both on and off the field and to see her efforts rewarded is exciting. Throughout the course of her career she has been self-motivated in everything she does and her success has come through her great work-ethic. Holly has been a wonderful role model for our team but is also a great example of what can be accomplished when student-athletes dedicate themselves to being the best they can possibly be. We are extremely proud to have her as a representative of King's College."