UAlbany's Kate Fontana, Mike Ammann & Jessica Ortman Named America East's Top Scholars

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Boston, Mass. – University at Albany’s Kate Fontana has been named the America East Conference Scholar-Athlete for women’s lacrosse, while Mike Ammann and Jessica Ortman earned the top award in men’s lacrosse and women’s indoor track, respectively. UAlbany placed 159 student-athletes on the conference’s winter-spring academic honor roll as announced on Tuesday, July 24 by the league office.

A committee of athletic administrators and NCAA Faculty Athletic Representatives chose an honoree in each of the winter and spring championship sports. Each honoree, named America East Scholar-Athlete, was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20. The America East academic honor roll members earned a 3.0 or higher during the winter and spring seasons. Commissioner’s Honor Roll members have a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Fontana, who graduated in May with a B.S. in criminal justice with a dual minor in Spanish and biology, posted a 3.71 cumulative GPA. She was the 2007 ECAC Merit Medal recipient as UAlbany’s top senior female student-athlete. A two-time Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award winner, Fontana became the first UAlbany women’s lacrosse athlete to be voted All-America East Conference four times, including three first-team selections. She finished her career as the school’s all-time scorer with 192 points (156 goals, 36 assists). Fontana, who was the team’s leading scorer as a senior, led the Great Danes to their first-ever America East championship appearance.

Ammann, a junior midfielder, has a 3.91 GPA in accounting with a dual minor in business administration and mathematics. He was voted to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Men’s At-Large District I All-Academic Team and made the America East men’s lacrosse all-academic squad. A second-team all-conference selection, Ammann totaled 11 goals and 20 assists in leading UAlbany to its fourth America East championship in the last five years. He had a career-high five assists in the championship against UMBC and scored twice in an NCAA first-round win against Loyola. UAlbany (15-3) set a school record for victories and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time.

Ortman, a sophomore, recorded a 3.91 cumulative GPA in communication. She was named the 2007 America East Conference Most Outstanding Track Performer at the indoor championship. Ortman, the first UAlbany women’s athlete to earn the award, finished first in the 1,000-meter run with a school-record 2:50.74. She was also first in the mile run and competed on the first-place 4x800 relay that established a championship record of 9:02.66. Ortman also placed second in the 800-meters at the ECAC Championships and Collegiate Invitational, where she ran a school-record 2:07.34. She was chosen to the A-East indoor track all-academic team.