By Brain Hoffman
The Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) announced their 2022 Academic All State teams last week and six Roanoke College athletes were honored for not only their athletic accomplishments, but for their academic success. Four of the six carry a 4.00 Grade Point Average (GPA), while the others sport a 3.974 and 3.966 gpa.
Salem native Lilly Blair, a women’s lacrosse standout, is a triple major in Mathematics, Economics, and Actuarial Science and graduated in early May with a 4.00 GPA. At the Roanoke College 2022 Senior Brunch, Blair was announced as the 2022 Co-Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year. Some of her academic awards include: Senior Scholar in Mathematics, Senior Scholar in Economics, Omicron Delta Epsilon Award. Lilly is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon (math society), Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics society), National Society of Leadership and Success, Member of EconLab.
This season alone, Blair was named All ODAC, ODAC Women’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year, ODAC Women’s Lacrosse Scholar Athlete of the Year, IWLCA All Region, IWLCA, All American, CoSIDA Academic All District, and a 1st team CoSIDA Academic All American.
Kasey Draper, men’s basketball, boasts a 4.00 GPA in Business Administration. Draper is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (Leadership Honor Society) and Delta Mu Delta (Business Honor Society). In 2022, the junior from Northside High in Roanoke County was named All ODAC, ODAC Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year, D3hoops.com All Region, CoSIDA Academic All District as well as the only non-senior to be named a CoSIDA Academic All american. During the season, Draper became the latest member of the Roanoke College 1,000 Point Club and the 2022 RC Outstanding male Athlete of the Year.
Zach Behe, men’s soccer, carries a 3.966 GPA in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting. A member of Delta Mu Delta, a business honor society, and Alpha Chi. Zach is also a member of the AICPA, a national professional accounting organization and has been a subject tutor for the college since the fall of 2020 while receiving the Larry W. Lynch Scholarship in Finance last spring. Behe is currently the President of the Student Athlete advisory Committee (SAAC) at Roanoke as well as the associate representative of the ODAC to the NCAA.
Behe was named All ODAC this season as well as a College Sports Information Directors (CoSIDA) Academic All District member and a 1st team COSIDA Academic All American.
Jacob Bonzon, baseball, is a double major in Mathematics and Physics and carries a 3.974 GPA. The outfielder set a Roanoke College program record with 22 stolen bases in 2022. Bozon finished second in the conference and helped the Maroons to an ODAC high 99 stolen bases. The Toronto native posted a batting average of .331 while scoring 34 runs while driving in 23. For his efforts, Jacob was named All ODAC for the first time after a season that would see the Maroons finish one game short of winning the 2022 ODAC Baseball Tournament Championship.
Kennedy Clemmer, volleyball, finished 2nd in the ODAC with her, team high, 485 digs. Her 4.22 digs per set ranked 2nd while her 41 service aces ranked 3rd in the ODAC. She also added 94 assists, 3rd on the team. For her efforts, the Penhook native was named All ODAC for the third consecutive season. Clemmer a 4.00 Public Health major was also named 2022 CoSIDA Academic All District.
Bryn Haden, women’s soccer, played in and started, as a defender, all 17 games for the Maroons this season. In the classroom, the Katy, Texas, native sports a 4.00 GPA as a double major in Public Health as well as Health and Exercise Science. Haden was named a 2022 CoSIDA Academic All District honoree this past fall, one for five Maroons to earn that prestigious honor this past academic year.
