ECU Quartet Earns American Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards
July 12, 2017 | General, Men's Swimming and Diving, Softball, Women's Golf, Women's Swimming and Diving
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A quartet of East Carolina upperclassmen in Fran Krznaric, Vendela Norrman, Lisa Pettersson and Lydia Ritchie have been named American Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award winners according to an announcement by Commissioner Mike Aresco Tuesday afternoon.
Fran Krznaric, Senior, Men's Swimming & Diving
Krznaric helped the Pirates capture their third consecutive American Men's Swimming & Diving title and was named honorable mention on the College Swimming Coaches Association (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team. He repeated as conference champion in the 200-yard IM, while collecting seven totals medals (three individual, four relays) at the league championship meet. Krznaric completed his eligibility as the school's record holder in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. In addition to being part of four record-holding relay teams, he ranks among the school's all-time Top-10 in six individual events.
Vendela Norrman, Junior, Women's Swimming and Diving
Normann was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American this past season after qualifying for the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championship in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. She repeated as American Athletic Conference champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, establishing a program record in the process. Norrman also posted the second-fastest 100-yard breaststroke time in school history during the championship meet.Â
Lisa Pettersson, Junior, Women's Golf
A First-Team All-AAC selection for the second consecutive year, Pettersson led the Pirates with a 73.50 stroke average, which ranks second on the all-time single-season charts. The Taby, Sweden native tallied four Top-5 finishes, five Top-10's and six Top-15's in 12 events, which included individual medalist honors at the Pinehurst Challenge with a personal-best 8-under par 208. Pettersson closed out her junior season participating in the 2017 NCAA Athens Regional where she finished tied for 50th with a score of 227 (11-over). She is a three-time Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-America Scholar, a six-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll and two-time AAC All-Academic selection.
Lydia Ritchie, Senior, Softball
Ritchie earned Second-Team All-AAC honors in 2017, marking the first all-conference selection for the Pirates since the program joined the league prior to the 2015 season. In the conference statistical rankings, Ritchie finished first in innings pitched, appearances and games started, second in strikeouts, looking strikeouts and wins, sixth in earned run average and seventh in opposing batting average as well as producing 20 complete games and notching six complete-game shutouts. She was selected as East Carolina's nominee for the NCAA Woman-of-the-Year award in June.
Fran Krznaric, Senior, Men's Swimming & Diving
Krznaric helped the Pirates capture their third consecutive American Men's Swimming & Diving title and was named honorable mention on the College Swimming Coaches Association (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team. He repeated as conference champion in the 200-yard IM, while collecting seven totals medals (three individual, four relays) at the league championship meet. Krznaric completed his eligibility as the school's record holder in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke. In addition to being part of four record-holding relay teams, he ranks among the school's all-time Top-10 in six individual events.
Vendela Norrman, Junior, Women's Swimming and Diving
Normann was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American this past season after qualifying for the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championship in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. She repeated as American Athletic Conference champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, establishing a program record in the process. Norrman also posted the second-fastest 100-yard breaststroke time in school history during the championship meet.Â
Lisa Pettersson, Junior, Women's Golf
A First-Team All-AAC selection for the second consecutive year, Pettersson led the Pirates with a 73.50 stroke average, which ranks second on the all-time single-season charts. The Taby, Sweden native tallied four Top-5 finishes, five Top-10's and six Top-15's in 12 events, which included individual medalist honors at the Pinehurst Challenge with a personal-best 8-under par 208. Pettersson closed out her junior season participating in the 2017 NCAA Athens Regional where she finished tied for 50th with a score of 227 (11-over). She is a three-time Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-America Scholar, a six-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll and two-time AAC All-Academic selection.
Lydia Ritchie, Senior, Softball
Ritchie earned Second-Team All-AAC honors in 2017, marking the first all-conference selection for the Pirates since the program joined the league prior to the 2015 season. In the conference statistical rankings, Ritchie finished first in innings pitched, appearances and games started, second in strikeouts, looking strikeouts and wins, sixth in earned run average and seventh in opposing batting average as well as producing 20 complete games and notching six complete-game shutouts. She was selected as East Carolina's nominee for the NCAA Woman-of-the-Year award in June.
Players Mentioned
Backstroke/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breaststroke
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Golf
RHP
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