The local college honorees at the Scholar-Athlete Dinner on March 3

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER As mentioned in a previous post, one of the biggest nights in area football is always the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athete Dinner that is now one month away, on March 3 at the Northampton Community Center. Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is the main speaker and the crowd may set a record for this affair. In addition to all of the high school scholar-athletes being recognized (see previous post) the area's college programs will each have one stellar student-athlete saluted. Here is a list of the college players set to be honored, and to me, it's kind of neat that one of the college honorees attended this banquet before as a high school scholar-athlete four years ago: COLLEGE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF LEHIGH VALLEY East Stroudsburg University – Jordan Hallman A 6’ 190 lb. wide receiver, he has a 3.28 GPA majoring in Sociology. He is a Dean’s List student and has Foreign Language proficiency. He is a three year starter, a four year letter winner, and for his career he had 105 receptions for 1,986 yards with 19 touchdowns. He is active with Breakfast with the Warriors, as a Salvation Army bell ringer, the Best Buddies program, as a youth sports coach, and volunteers with the Boys Club and a local library at home in Elizabethtown, PA. Kutztown University – Zach Snyder A 5’9” 185 lb. wide receiver, he has a 3.56 GPA majoring in Sports Management with a concentration in Coaching. He earned Dean’s List honors in six semesters, is a five time PSAC Scholar Athlete selection, a 1st Team All District Academic All Star, and a Division II Athletic Director’s Academic Award winner. He has volunteered with the Kutztown Special Olympics and the Women in Sports Day programs for three years. He coaches youth sports and enjoys spending time with his family. Lafayette College – Ethan Swerdlow A 5’11” 195 lb. punter, he has a 3.34 GPA majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is a three time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection and has been the team’s punter for the last two seasons during which he did not have a punt blocked. He averaged over 39 yards per punt both seasons, and combined he pinned opponents inside their 20 yard line 30 times. For the 2011 season he was named to the All Patriot League First Team and was selected Special Teams MVP. Lehigh University – Zach Barket A 5’9” 195 lb. running back, he has a 3.46 GPA majoring in Accounting. He is a Dean’s List student, a two time All Patriot League Academic Team selection, an FCS ADA Academic All Star, a 2011 CoSIDA Academic All District selection, a 2012 Capital One Academic All American second team selection, and has received the Lehigh Faculty Athletics Council Academic Award. He participates in the C.O.A.C.H. and Reading Rocks programs, enjoys hunting and fishing, and has accepted a full time position with KPMG in Philadelphia beginning in the fall of 2013. Moravian College – Luke Trexler A 6’ 215 lb. linebacker and defensive end, he has a 3.57 GPA majoring in Business Management. He was named to the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2012, a season in which he had 52 tackles, 6 for a loss, 3 sacks, and 3 passes defended. For the 2011 season he recorded 35 tackles, with 4 tackles for a loss. His hobbies include outdoor sports, fitness, and rafting. Muhlenberg College – John Gruver A 5’10” 180 lb. wide receiver and kick returner, he has a 3.164 GPA with a double major in Economics and Finance. He is a three year varsity letter winner, who had 43 punt returns for 349 yards and 15 kickoff returns for 318 yards in his career. He was selected as the Palisades High School Scholar Athlete for the 2009 Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame banquet.