Sheila Reid Named Villanova Female Student-Athlete of the Year

Karalunas, Reid Named Villanova Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year

Duo receives prestigious honors at Senior Student-Athlete Banquet

May 24, 2011

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova University Athletic Department announced the 2011 Senior Student-Athletes of the Year at the annual Senior Student-Athlete Banquet held on May 17th, 2011. Men's Lacrosse standout Brian Karalunas (Dewitt, N.Y.) and Sheila Reid (Newmarket, Ont.) of cross country and track & field teams were honored as the Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year.

Karalunas finishes his career as the most decorated men's lacrosse student-athlete in program history. He is Villanova's first three-time USILA All-American and garnered back-to-back BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011. On the field, the two-time captain finished his senior season with 74 ground balls and 70 caused turnovers, leading the NCAA averaging 4.38 takeaways per game. He also led in the same category during the 2010 season.

Karalunas' career numbers are even more impressive. He is Villanova and the NCAA's career leader in caused turnovers (153) and ranks ninth all-time at VU with 213 ground balls. During his four years with the team, Karalunas led the Wildcats to their first two NCAA postseason appearances in program history during the 2009 and 2011 seasons and helped Villanova reach their highest ranking at No. 7 in the USILA Coaches poll in 2011. Last weekend, the long-stick midfielder earned his first start in the professional lacrosse ranks with the Long Island Lizards, posting six takeaways in his first start with Major League Lacrosse.

In the classroom, Karalunas graduates Villanova with a 3.94 GPA and a degree in Honors and Philosophy from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 2010-11, Karalunas was named the American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award Winner. He is also a current finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award presented to the nation's most outstanding men's lacrosse student-athlete.

Reid is a 7-time All-American and two-time national champion with equally impressive academic accolades. During the cross country season last fall she won the individual national title while leading Villanova to its second consecutive team championship and also registered a perfect 4.0 grade-point average for the fall semester. Reid was the winner of the cross country Honda Award and was also named by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as both its National Athlete of the Year and National Student-Athlete of the Year for her athletic and academic accomplishments. She was also chosen as the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year for cross country.

When the calendar turned to the indoor track season Reid continued her remarkable year by anchoring the Wildcats national champion distance medley relay squad and also earning All-America honors in the 3000 meters for the second straight year. During the outdoor track season Reid won individual titles in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters at the BIG EAST Championships and is now an 11-time conference champion. Reid graduated earlier this month with a cumulative 3.41 GPA as an English major. She will continue her season at the NCAA East Regional and NCAA Championships and returns to Villanova next year with eligibility in both cross country and outdoor track.

The Senior Student-Athlete of the Year is given to the top male and female Villanova student-athlete who excel in athletics, academics and community service. The winner must have at least a 3.2 GPA, in addition to being a significant contributor to his/her team.