Oswego State student-athletes Jon Whitelaw and Shelly Bateman have been selected as the recipients of the Donald Snygg and Oswego Woman's Scholar Athlete Awards for the 2012-13 year.
These awards represent the highest academic awards presented to Laker student-athletes who have demonstrated athletic and academic success in at least two years of participati on, while having earned a minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average, as voted on by athletic department staff.
Senior Jon Whitelaw, who carries a 3.58 grade point average majoring in Adolescent Education with a concentration in Social Studies, is a four-year member of the men's ice hockey team. Earlier this year, the Huntsville, Ontario native became the second Laker to receive the Dr. Sam Molnar Award, which is presented annually to a junior or senior student-athlete with the best combination of academic and athletic ability among all SUNYAC-member institutions. The Laker captain was named the 2012 SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete award winner for Men's Ice Hockey after posting the top GPA among men's ice hockey All-SUNYAC honorees. He was also named to the 2012 CoSIDA Capital One Academic At-Large All-District First Team. Whitelaw is a two-time SUNYAC Commissioner's List and All-Academic Team honoree, while being named to the SUNY Oswego Dean's List six times and the President's List once.
On the ice, Whitelaw has recorded 137 points on 51 goals and 86 assists in 106 career games and has been a member of an NCAA Runner-Up squad and two NCAA Semifinalist teams. This season, Whitelaw has tallied eight goals and 20 assists in 20 games. In 2011-12, he paced the Lakers in points and goals with 41 and 19, respectively, to earn Second Team All-America and First Team All-SUNYAC honors. Whitelaw was also named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year during the 2009-10 season.
Senior Shelly Bateman, who has a 3.80 grade point average majoring in Business Administration, has been a four-year starter on the Oswego State women's soccer team.
The Fulton, N.Y. native will graduate with the fifth-highest point total in women's soccer history with 79 points and fifth-best career goal total with 31 goals. During her career, she was a three-time Third Team All-SUNYAC selection.
Bateman is a SUNY Oswego Presidential Scholarship recipient and has been named to the SUNY Oswego President's List six times and the Dean's List once. She is a four-time SUNYAC All-Academic Team and three-time SUNYAC Commissioner's List honoree. Bateman is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honor society.
Both student-athletes will be recognized at the SUNY Oswego Honors Convocation in April. The Donald Snygg Award is given in memory of Dr. Donald Snygg, who shared a great interest in and provided support to the Oswego State athletic department. He was Oswego's only "University Professor" and served as chair of the Psychology Department for 30 years.
