HAUPT, McCOY, FLORES, GENOVESE, BLAIR AND BESSOLO RECEIVE END OF THE YEAR STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS 4/28/2008 SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Seniors Lindsay Haupt (volleyball), Katie McCoy (soccer) and David Flores (baseball) were selected as Sacramento State’s Student-Athlete of the Year Award winners, while Melissa Genovese (gymnastics), Ryan Blair (baseball) and Tim Bessolo (football) each received the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award at a ceremony this afternoon on the Sacramento State campus. The Student-Athlete of the Year award is given to one male and female student-athlete that has reached senior status in eligibility, and is voted on by the entire Sacramento State coaching staff. Both McCoy and Haupt received the same amount of votes and are the co-Female Student-Athletes of the Year. The Scholar-Athlete Award is given to the Sacramento State male and female senior with the highest grade point average at the institution. Blair and Genovese had the highest undergrad gpa, and Bessolo posted the highest graduate gpa. Haupt has been a four-year member of the volleyball team and helped lead the Hornets to four consecutive Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. During her career, she racked up two Big Sky MVP awards (2005, 2007), two Big Sky Tournament MVP awards (2005-06), four Big Sky all-academic awards (2004-07) and seven conference player of the week awards. This past season, she was named Big Sky MVP and received all-tournament honors at all five tournaments in which the Hornets competed. Among Big Sky leaders, she ranked first in hitting percentage (.354), third in blocks (1.36 per game), and fourth in both points (4.60 per game) and kills (3.67 per game). A native of Etna, Calif., Haupt’s 1,359 career kills are the most by a middle hitter in Sacramento State’s Div. I history (1991-pres.). A biology major with a 3.47 gpa, Haupt is on pace to graduate next spring. McCoy led the women’s soccer team to its first-ever Big Sky championship, and first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2007, capping a remarkable career. McCoy, who was a three-time first team all-Big Sky selection as well as the 2007 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in assists with 22, while ranking second in points scored (76) and third in goals (27). She set single-season school records in goals (14) and points (35) during her senior season in the Green and Gold, while tying her own single-season record in assists (11). McCoy earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors each of the last three weeks of the 2007 season, becoming the first offensive player in conference history to accomplish the feat. A native of San Diego, Calif., McCoy will graduate this spring with a degree in business, where she currently boasts a 3.72 gpa. Flores is enjoying a strong 2008 season, batting .352 with 20 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBI. Flores, who was a first-team all-Western Athletic Conference performer in 2007 and a preseason all-league choice in 2008, became the school’s all-time leader in doubles earlier this season. He now has 51 during his career, which is 12 more than any other player in school history. This season, he leads the team in runs scored (39), while ranking second in hits (58), extra base hits (25), total bases (93) and stolen bases (8). Flores also ranks second in school history in hits with 202, and second all-time in runs scored with 115. Also a standout with his glove, Flores has a career fielding percentage of .953 while playing third base, one of the toughest defensive positions in baseball. Flores, a native of Union City, Calif., has a 3.00 gpa in communications and is on pace to graduate in the fall. Genovese has been one of the key components to the gymnastics team’s success over the last four years. During her career, she helped the Hornets to three conference titles and NCAA Regional appearances. She and fellow senior Alexis Tsurumoto also became the first gymnasts in school history to qualify for NCAA postseason competition four times. As a senior, she earned first team all-WAC honors on beam and in the all-around, and finished the season ranked ninth in the nation on balance beam. The El Dorado Hills, Calif., native also set the school record on beam by scoring a 9.95 in a four-team meet on March 7. Out of the gym, Genovese has earned conference all-academic honors all four years, maintaining a 3.86 gpa while majoring in public relations. She will graduate next month. Blair, who was a preseason selection for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, has posted a solid 2008 baseball season thus far, batting .327 at the plate with five home runs and 25 RBI. He leads the team with 12 stolen bases, and now has 30 for his career. A solid defensive player who has played all three outfield positions this season, the Visalia, Calif., native is the only Hornet everyday player to have a perfect fielding percentage this year. In just two seasons, Blair has accumulated eight triples, which puts him into a tie for third in school history. In his first season with the Hornets in 2007, Blair hit .316 with three home runs and 26 RBI, ranking second on the team in batting average and third in hits (65). A 2008 Academic All-America candidate, Blair possesses a 3.37 GPA in business, and is on pace to graduate in the fall. A three-year member of the football team, Bessolo served in a variety of roles for the Hornets. As a senior, he played quarterback and was also the team’s holder on field goals and extra points. Bessolo earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and is currently completing his master’s degree. This past year, he posted a perfect 4.0 gpa and also worked in the Student-Athlete Resource Center. Recently, he was accepted into the Ph.D. program at USC where he will continue his academic career.