FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-099-07-08
Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Sarah Grove and Dan McGuigan Named MASCAC Scholar-Athletes

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College seniors Sarah Grove (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East) and Dan McGuigan (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) have been recognized by the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) as Scholar-Athletes for the 2007-08 winter sports season, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Grove was honored in women's indoor track and field while McGuigan was selected in men's swimming. They are the third and fourth Blue Jay student-athletes to receive the MASCAC Scholar-Athlete award this academic year, joining Kelly Downs (women's volleyball) and Erin Fisher (women's cross country).

Grove helped the Blue Jays to a second-place finish at the MAC indoor track and field championships, finishing fourth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 19:11.57 that is the eighth-best in program history.

During the fall season, she was part of the women's cross country team that won the MAC championship and finished 23rd at the NCAA Division III championships.

Beyond track and field, Grove is in the Elizabethtown College Honors Program and is a Presidential Scholarship recipient. She has served as a peer mentor, and is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Academic Integrity Committee.

She has also worked as a tutor and volunteered at the Clare House women's shelter in Lancaster and at the Shalom House homeless shelter in Harrisburg.

Academically, Grove has a 3.85 cumulative grade-point average as a religious studies major at Elizabethtown, and will attend Vanderbilt University's Divinity School in the fall in pursuit of a Master of Divinity degree.

McGuigan finished second in the 200 breaststroke and third as part of the 400 medley relay as the Blue Jays finished fifth at the MAC swimming championships in February. He also earned two fourth-place relay finishes and was sixth in the 100 breaststroke at the championships.

During the regular season, McGuigan claimed 18 individual top-three finishes during dual meets and swam in 12 relay that finished either first or second. In his career, he earned two medals at the MAC championships and was recognized as second-team All-Conference 11 times (four individual, seven relays).

Outside swimming, he has done field work and student teaching in classrooms ranging from preschool to middle school. McGuigan is also a member of the Best Buddies program and is a swim coach and lifeguard at the Phoenixville Area YMCA.

Academically, McGuigan has a 3.77 cumulative grade-point average as an elementary/special education major at Elizabethtown.

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