Hornets' Second Baseman Picks Up ODAC/Farm Bureau Honor

FOREST, Va. --- Lynchburg College softball standout Melanie Tenney is one of 11 student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2014 ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award during the spring athletic schedule.  Tenney was tabbed from a pool of nominees by a vote of each of the conference's sports information directors.

The ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar Athlete Award is given to a student-athlete in each of the conference's 23 sponsored sports.  Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance is the presenter of each of the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards, forming a partnership with the ODAC to emphasize the NCAA Division III philosophy of the complete student-athlete experience.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore standing and have spent at least one full academic year at the nominating institution, must maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, and must have participated in at least 50-percent of the team's events as a starter or key contributor.

Tenney, a senior from Yorktown, Va., boasts a 3.812 grade point average as an English Literature and European History major.  She is a three-time honoree on the ODAC All-Academic Team as well as on the Lynchburg Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

A two-sport star, Tenney was a Third Team All-American by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) in the fall.  On the softball field, the NFCA First Team All-Region honoree hit .340 against ODAC foes this season with a .469 OBP powered by 11 walks.  In all games, she hit .406, which ranked eighth in the league.  Her 23 walks slotted third in the league, helping her to the sixth-best OBP (.500).  She also hit six homers and drove in 35 runs.  In the field, Tenney boasted a .945 fielding percentage in 164 total chances from second base.

"We are proud of the accomplishments of every one of our student-athletes," says ODAC commissioner Brad Bankston. "It is especially gratifying to be able to recognize those who personify the definition of ‘student-athlete' through these awards, and we are proud to be affiliated with Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance in this program."

For more information about the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards, visit the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.