Heinrich and Wiatr Honored as Senior Scholar Athletes
Stevens Institute of Technology’s
Matthew Heinrich (Hendersonville, TN/Hendersonville) and Utica College’s
Sarah Wiatr (Poland, NY/West Canada Valley) have been named the 2015-16 Empire 8 Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winners, based on a vote by the conference faculty athletic representatives (FARs). The award honors one male and one female student-athlete who best exemplify what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
Heinrich is the fourth male recipient from Stevens to earn this distinction, since the award started in 2006-07, while Wiatr is the second Utica female honoree.
“The candidates this year were outstanding,” stated Empire 8 FAR Chair Darwyn Cook. “Matthew and Sarah possess all the characteristics of the ideal student-athlete that the NCAA and Empire 8 are proud to be affiliated with.”
Throughout his time at Stevens, Heinrich has excelled on the court and in the classroom, accumulating a 4.0 grade point average as a Mechanical Engineering major. Heinrich is a seven-time Empire 8 President’s List honoree, a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. He was the NCAA Elite 89 award recipient for men’s tennis during 2014-15 which is given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA who participates in their respective national championship.
Heinrich has been named to the Stevens’ President’s List every semester, is a member of the Stevens Scholar Program and was the recipient of the Ann P. Neupauer Scholarship which is the institution’s most prestigious academic honor. He will graduate as the Valedictorian of the 2016 Stevens class and has a received a graduate fellowship for the 2016-17 year to Princeton University.
Stevens Associate professor and Interim Department Director of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Frank Fisher said, “Matthew is the most impressive undergraduate student I have met in my 12 years at Stevens. What is most impressive regarding Matthew’s performance as a scholar are his maturity, character, work ethic and ability to quickly and independently learn new concepts and immediately apply them to the practical problem at hand.”
On the tennis court, Heinrich led Stevens to a four-year overall record of 70-33 and a 31-0 mark in the Empire 8 with four straight E8 Championships. The All-American has competed at first singles and first doubles throughout his career and became the first player in program history to achieve 100 singles victories. Heinrich has been selected for the NCAA Division III Individual Championship at singles three times (2014, 2015 and 2016) and doubles twice (2013 and 2016). He is a four-time E8 Player of the Year, First-Team All-Conference honoree and was named the 2013 E8 Rookie of the Year. He was also named the national Rookie of the Year for the 2012-13 season.
“Matthew is by far the most elite student-athlete I have had the pleasure to coach,” said Stevens Head Tennis Coach Steve Gachko. “Not only is Matthew a standout on the court, he is an excellent team captain, team mentor and the perfect example for the rest of our team in terms of character, worth ethic and integrity.”
Wiatr is a five-time NCAA qualifier (three-time indoor and two-time outdoor) and a two-time All-American in the triple jump. At the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships she had a fourth place finish in the triple jump and at the 2015 Outdoor Championships she placed seventh. She is the first female in Utica track and field program history to earn All-American status and during the 2016 indoor season was named a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region selection. Wiatr currently holds the indoor (12.01m) and outdoor (12.28m) school records for the triple jump.
“Sarah is one of the hardest working student-athletes I have had the pleasure to coach,” said Utica Head Coach Eric Parker. “She works full time, is in a very rigorous academic program and is the most decorated female in Utica Track & Field history.”
In the classroom, Wiatr carries a grade-point average of 3.72 in Health Studies with a focus on Occupational Therapy and a minor in Aging Studies/Gerontology. She has been named to the Empire 8 President’s List four times and has been named a three-time All-Academic by Division III USTFCCCA.
“Sarah demonstrates a strong inquisitive spirit, which is a crucial component for any successful student, as well as a future occupational therapist,” stated Mary Siniscarco, Assistant Professor of Health Studies at Utica. “Being deemed a scholar-athlete is not an easy task but Sarah is able to effectively balance her academics, work schedule and athletics.”