5X社区鈥檚 tradition of athletic success was on full display in early June, earning a national player of the year, a national assistant coach of the year and an honor for excellence throughout its 10 women鈥檚 sports.
Kent State baseball pitcher Eric Lauer earned two significant awards as he was tabbed Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and earned a spot on CoSIDA鈥檚 Academic All-America Team. Lauer鈥檚 earned run average of 0.69 is the lowest for an NCAA Division I starting pitcher since 1979. Earning a Kent State degree in just three years, his second team selection is the highest among the four Academic All-Americans in program history.
UPDATE: Eric Lauer was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the Major League Basebal draft, going as the 25th overall pick on June 9. .
After the women鈥檚 golf team had one of its best seasons in program history, Maddi Swaney was named
the 2015-16 Golf Pride Grips Women鈥檚 Golf Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. Swaney has held the role of assistant coach at her alma mater since 2011 and helped the Golden Flashes become a Top 15 team this season while breaking the program鈥檚 season scoring average for the third straight year. Kent State鈥檚 18 consecutive conference championships are the most in any sport in Mid-American Conference (MAC) history.
The MAC presented Kent State with the Jacoby Trophy for excellence in women鈥檚 competition during the 2015-16 academic year. Bolstered by MAC championships from field hockey, gymnastics, golf and softball, the Kent State Golden Flashes finished atop the conference鈥檚 12-team standings. Kent State also got major contributions to its score from volleyball鈥檚 MAC East title, soccer鈥檚 second-place finish in the MAC East and a third-place finish from indoor track and field.