April 11, 2007

Contact: Alan Ashby

CLEVELAND - Freshman softball pitcher Amanda Macenko and senior men's diver Chris Dalman have been recognized as Cleveland State's Student-Athletes of the Month for March. CSU Director of Athletics Lee Reed made the announcement on Wednesday.

Macenko went 11-3 with a 1.21 ERA during the month, hurling nine complete games and a shutout. The Brunswick, Ohio native struck out 71 and walked just 10 in 92.2 innings of work. She won eight consecutive decisions from March 12-25, twice garnering Horizon League Pitcher of the Week accolades. Macenko appeared in the circle in all but one of CSU's 18 games, also going 5-for-10 at the plate with a run scored and a RBI.

Chris Dalman

An Auburn, Wash. native, Dalman became the first CSU diver in 30 years to qualify for the NCAA Championships after placing third in the one-meter at the Zone C Championships on March 2, following that up the next day with a fourth-place showing in the three-meter. He then went on to finish 18th in the one-meter competition and 19th in the three-meter at the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis on March 15-16. Dalman, who was also CSU's male Student-Athlete of the Month in January, becomes the first multiple winner of the award.

The Athlete of the Month award was developed this year to honor Viking student-athletes for their on-field accomplishments. A female and male honoree will be selected at the conclusion of each month during the school year. Cleveland State sponsors 17 varsity sports, of which baseball, men's & women's golf, softball, men's & women's swimming and men's & women's tennis are currently competing.

Previous 2006-07 Honorees:
August/September: Andrew Gutting (men's soccer) & Liz Fazio (volleyball)
October: Bjorn Schantz (men's swimming) & Mel Snyder (volleyball)
November: Ryan Hurley (wrestling) & Leigh Pendergrass (fencing)
December: J'Nathan Bullock (men's basketball) & Kailey Klein (women's basketball)
January: Chris Dalman (men's diving) & Marianne Lionell (women's swimming)
February: Jakub Dobies (men's swimming) & Sarah Galon (women's tennis)