2012 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Nominees – Oakland

Oakland's Timothy Montague and Alyssa Vela

Each day, The Summit League will feature one institution’s male and female student-athlete nominees for The Summit League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, the highest award bestowed by the league.  The award honors the outstanding academic achievement, athletic achievement, attitude and leadership of one male and one female student-athlete.  The award is voted on by the league’s faculty athletic representatives and will be announced on Thursday, June 28.

Oakland’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year Nominees

Timothy Montague, Swimming & Diving
Sr. // 3.65 GPA // Major: Accounting

Academic Achievements
A member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society and Beta Gamma Sigma Fraternity for Business Leaders … Hollie Lepley award winner (top male student-athlete at Oakland) … Recipient of the Dicron Tafralian Merit Scholarship and the Michigan Accountancy Foundation Scholarship … Graduated Cum Laude from the school of business …  Four-time honoree on the Commissioner’s List and Academic All-League team … Received Distinguished Scholar Award.

Athletic Achievements
Three-time individual Summit League Champion, two-time Summit League record holder and part of a championship relay team … Two-time team captain … Earned Athlete of the Week as a sophomore … Ranked in the top-10 in school history of three of the four events he swam.

Other Campus Curricular or Extracurricular Activities
Helped organize a Mitten Toss the last four years benefiting the Pontiac Lighthouse … Volunteered with Oakland County Rebuilding Together to rebuild house … Helped raise awareness and a supervisor for the Let’s More Together – Walk for Arthritis and participated in The Great Michigan Race to raise awareness for Special Olympics … Volunteered with the March of Dimes and Salvation Army … Active member of the OU SAAC and Athletic Department Readings throughout his four years … Participated in the Water to Water event.

Montague’s complete OU bio.

Alyssa Vela, Swimming & Diving
Sr. // 3.29 GPA // Major: Psychology and Spanish // Minor: Biology

Academic Achievements
Member of the Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology and class liaison in 2010-11 … Oakland University Center for Multicultural Initiatives Scholar … Hollie L. Lepley, Distinguished Senior Scholar Award winner at Oakland … Named to the Dean’s List in  2011 … Three-time Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence honoree and Academic All-League Distinguished Scholar … Presenter for the Association for Psychological Science (APS) International conference and the Meeting of the Minds conference.

Athletic Achievements
2009 Newcomer of the Year … Four-time All-League honoree … 25-time Summit League Champion, including a four-time champion in the 100 Freestyle … Two-time Summit League Athlete of the Week … School and/or Summit League record holder in three individual events and five relays …  

Other Campus Curricular or Extracurricular Activities
Two-year SAAC representative, including President in 2011-12 … New Oakland Family Center Intern, where she volunteered to work with counselors and facilitated group discussions … Senate Athletic Committee student body representative … Mitten Toss Committee member … Clinton River Watershed Festival Group Leader … Volunteer for March of Dimes, Detroit Zoo Research Walk, Suite Dream Project … Took part in elementary school readings and Adopt a family.

Vela’s complete OU bio.

Previously Highlighted Nominees:

IPFW - Drew Imel & Lauren McCracken
IUPUI - Perez Agaba & Elizabeth Bourgeois
UMKC - Cosmas Ayabei & Kaelene Curry
NDSU – Zach Wentz & Amy Anderson