FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-063-07-08
Friday, January 11, 2008

Kelly Downs and Erin Fisher Named MASCAC Scholar-Athletes

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College volleyball standout Kelly Downs (Airville, PA/Red Lion) and women's cross country All-American Erin Fisher (McEwensville, PA/Warrior Run) have been recognized by the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) as Scholar-Athletes for the 2007 fall sports season, the conference office announced Friday.

Both Downs and Fisher were recognized as conference Player of the Year as they led their respective squads to conference titles and qualification in the NCAA Division III championships.

Downs, the Academic All-American of the Year in volleyball, was an honorable mention All-America selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), a member of the AVCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region team and the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year as well as a first-team Academic All-District selection.

She finished the season with a school-record 511 kills and led the conference in kills, hitting percentage (.378) and blocks (181). A four-time All-Conference selection, she finished her career as Elizabethtown's all-time leader with 1,532 kills and 585 blocks.

Academically, Downs has a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average as an occupational therapy major at Elizabethtown.

Fisher finished 15th at the NCAA Division III Cross Country championships to earn All-America honors, and was honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as the Mideast Region Athlete of the Year in women's cross country after winning the NCAA Mideast Regional title and her second straight MAC individual championship.

In seven races this season, Fisher recorded three wins and three second-place finishes while leading the Blue Jays to their first MAC team title since 2004, a fourth-place finish at the Mideast Regional meet and a 23rd-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Academically, Fisher maintains a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average as a double major in biology and mathematics.

The MASCAC recognizes Scholar-Athletes in each of the eight fall sports sponsored by the conference, with the conference Awards Committee giving equal consideration to academic record and athletic prowess.