St. John's University Athletics
Stepan and Leszczynska Earn BIG EAST/Aeropostale Scholar-Athletes Awards
2/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 7, 2008
QUEENS, N.Y. - Officials at the BIG EAST Conference this week named two of St. John's standout student-athletes, Jeff Stepan of the men's soccer team and Wioleta Leszczynska of the volleyball team, the recipients of the 2007-08 BIG EAST/Aeropostale Institutional Scholar-Athletes of the Year Awards.
Each year, St. John's nominates one male and one female student-athlete who are graduating seniors and intend to pursue graduate or professional studies. Nominees are asked to represent a "blend of academic achievements as well as athletic achievements," with strong consideration given to candidates with at least a 3.0 GPA. The two will be awarded $2,000 from the BIG EAST to be used toward their graduate tuition.
Stepan was a tri-captain of the Red Storm men's soccer team and started all 21 games during the 2007 season. The defender tallied four goals and an assist for nine points and tied for the team lead in both goals and points. The four goals tied a career high. He helped lead the Red Storm to a 9-6-5 overall record and a second round appearance in the BIG EAST Championship.
The senior is a two-time College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and ESPN the Magazine First Team Academic All-American. He will graduate after the spring semester with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. He has a stellar 3.99 grade point index and plans on going to medical school.
Leszczynska was an integral part of arguably the best Red Storm volleyball team in the program's 14-year history. She ranked among the top 3 setters in the nation with 14.19 assists per game and set the St. John's single-season record for assists with 1,760 set-ups. Her performance helped lead St. John's to a repeat as BIG EAST regular season champions, the team's first conference championship title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament regional semifinal round, where the team ended the season with a program-best 33-4 record.
A senior in the sport management program, Leszczynska currently boasts a 3.13 grade point average and is expected to graduate after the spring semester. She plans to attend graduate school for international business at St. John's, where she will continue her success both on the court and in the classroom.
