Eatontown, N.J., Resident Kimberly Christel to Receive Scholar-Athlete Recognition from the NEAC

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Kimberly Christel

MORRISTOWN, NJ (11/15/2010)(readMedia)-- The North Eastern Athletic Conference has designated Eatontown resident, Kimberly Christel, '11 psychology major, College of Saint Elizabeth tennis team's captain as a scholar-athlete for the 2009-2010 season. The College is located at 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. 07960.

Christel, along with three other CSE students and two recent CSE grads, successfully met the NEAC's criteria to be recognized as a scholar-athlete for the academic year of 2009-2010. She has maintained a GPA of 3.4 or higher for the fall and spring semesters combined and has also been in good standing on her tennis team.

The NEAC, an intercollegiate athlete conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III, acknowledges scholar-athletes yearly in eight different sports from member institutions located in the northeast United States. This year, the NEAC is honoring 276 scholar-athletes, from 14 U.S. colleges, hailed from 13 states and seven countries.

"I'm surprised and honored to receive this recognition. It means a lot not only to the tennis court but also to the classroom. I'm happy that they recognized my ability and hard work," said Christel.

Kaitlin Burud, assistant director of athletics and sport information at CSE, said, "I'm extremely proud of our scholar-athletes. They deserve all the credits." Burud notes that this recognition is a huge honor to the athletics department because it shows how well-rounded the CSE scholar-athletes are and how much the College values academics.

According to Christel, playing sports is easier for her to balance her time by working her tennis schedule around her classes. That helped her plan in advance, dedicate her work and stay focused which in turn resulted in better grades and practice in the tennis team.

"Tennis is a way for me to de-stress and leave everything off the court," Christel said. She also attributed her success to the support from CSE professors. She said that they are not only understanding and helpful but also very encouraging.

Christel's future plan is to attend a graduate school to get her master's degree in psychology while doing local tennis tournaments, joining racquet clubs and coaching high school tennis teams.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.