IUP Scholar-Athlete Winners

INDIANA, Pa. – Seniors Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) and Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) have been named IUP's 2016-17 Scholar-Athletes of the Year, which were presented at the department's annual All-American Banquet on Thursday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
Mercer, a shortstop on the IUP softball team, is an economics and marketing dual major with a 3.91 cumulative grade point average. She's a three-time Academic All-District nominees, earning the honor after her junior season.
 
A member of the Dean's List every semester on campus, Mercer has earned perfect 4.0 GPAs in four of her last five semesters.
 
On the softball diamond, Mercer is looking to become a four-time All-PSAC selection and two-time All-Atlantic Region pick. Extremely versatile, she was named the 2014 PSAC West Freshman of the Year in right field, before moving to third base as a sophomore, and then to shortstop as a junior in 2016.
 
She heads into this weekend ranked in the top 10 in 11 different IUP career offensive categories, including batting average (.350), runs scored (119), doubles (41), home runs (17) and stolen bases (45).
 
After graduation, Mercer will go to work for Thermo Fisher Scientific in the company's Global Stategic Pricing Department.
 
Kirsch is a member of the IUP men's golf team and has a 3.35 cumulative grade point average in finance. A three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete, he earned Academic All-American honors by Cleveland Golf after the 2015-16 year.
 
A four-year starter for the Crimson Hawks, he was the individual champion at the 2016 PSAC Men's Golf Championships in Hershey, Pa. last fall, leading IUP to the program's 27th all-time conference title. He's looking to become a four-time PING All-Atlantic Region and all-conference selection, including a PSAC Freshman of the Year honor in 2014.
 
In 45 career events, Kirsch has 15 top-10 finishes, seven top-five finishes, and two tournament wins. He also owns a career scoring average of just over 76.
 
After graduation, Kirsch plans to pursue his master's degree in finance.
 
About the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year is given to an IUP men's and women's senior who has excelled both on the field and in the classroom.
 
The honor is the first of the Crimson and Gray Awards given for the 2016-17 year. The Crimson and Gray Awards are a new initiative that includes nine different honors, including Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year, and Performance of the Year, among others.
 
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