WLU's Hageboeck, LYN's Gmurek Earn Top Scholar-Athlete Honors

FOREST, Va. --- One record increases and another begins as the ODAC Board of Directors handed out the league's highest individual honors in naming the winners of the Majorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Awards. Washington and Lee University swimmer Emily Hageboeck earned Berkley Award recognition, while University of Lynchburg runner Shawn Gmurek collected Jopson Award laurels.

Hageboeck is the 11th winner of the Berkley Award from W&L, furthering the Generals conference record. Eastern Mennonite University student-athletes have won the second-most honors at six. For Gmurek, the list is brand new as he is the first Hornet from Lynchburg to claim the Jopson Award. He does continue an interesting trend as a cross country or track & field athlete has collected Berkley and/or Jopson distinction each of the past seven years dating back to 2014.

Inaugurated in 1984 and 1981, respectively, the Marjorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Scholar-Athlete Awards are given each spring to member institution seniors and conference sport participants who exhibit the highest athletic, academic, and extracurricular achievements. Ms. Berkley began her collegiate teaching career at then Lynchburg College. Several years later, she moved to Hollins University where she coached tennis, field hockey, and soccer, and served as the athletic director for 30 years.

The Jopson Award is named in honor of the Bridgewater College professor and coach who retired in 1981 following 45 years at BC. Dr. Jopson, who initiated and directed the Eagles' cross country and track programs, led his teams to ODAC indoor track titles in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and outdoor crowns from 1978 through 1981.

RELATED: Berkley and Jopson Award History

A native of Charleston, W.Va., Hageboeck is the epitome of a Division III student-athlete by excelling in athletics, academics, and in her various communities. In the classroom, Hageboeck maintained a 3.848 grade point average as an accounting major with a minor in computer science. Her academic honors are numerous including three ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and a soon-to-be fourth nod as Academic All-ODAC. The seven-time W&L Scholar-Athlete and two-time W&L President's List honoree was named a Scholar All-American by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America three times. Hageboeck earned Third Team Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA in 2019 and picked up three Academic All-District laurels including this season. The 2020 Academic All-America process, for which she is eligible, is currently on-going and will be determined later in June.

Hageboeck's experiences on campus and in her community are extensive. She served as a Washington and Lee Student Consulting project leader since 2017 as well as a peer tutor in accounting and computer science. She participated in the Generals Leadership Academy and served on the First Year Orientation Committee since 2017.

Hageboeck held leadership positions with Alpha Delta Pi sorority and W&L's chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (financial information) honor society. She was the scholarship chair with ADPi, helping with philanthropic efforts with Yellow Brick Road (early learning center) and Ronald McDonald House. She served as treasurer of BAP, thru which she helped combat hunger and promote nutrition with The Campus Kitchen and offer tutoring sessions in Intro to Accounting. Hageboeck was also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society for AACSB-accredited schools, which are the top five-percent of business programs around the world.

In the pool, Hageboeck's resumé is impressive. She was a 17-time ODAC event champion, having earned each of the past three ODAC Swimmer of the Meet honors at the ODAC Championships. A four-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, Hageboeck helped Washington and Lee win four conference titles. Overall, she was a 14-time All-American. She earned First Team All-American honors seven times with three Honorable Mention All-American nods. In 2020, she was awarded four All-America citations by the CSCAA for the four events in which she would have competed at the 2020 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships: 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes, 400-yard individual medley, and 400-yard medley relay. On the national stage, she helped W&L to a pair of top-10 finishes.

The two-time W&L Most Outstanding Swimmer owns numerous ODAC and school records. Hageboeck is the ODAC overall and championship record-holder in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes, 400-yard IM, and 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays. She owns Generals' records in each event, resetting the 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard IM records each year.

Hailing from Parkton, Md., Gmurek made the most of his Division III experience as he stands out athletically, academically, and in his community. In the classroom, Gmurek maintained a 3.806 grade point average as a management major with a human resources emphasis in addition to a minor in Spanish. He earned three ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year laurels this season as he claimed the honors for cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field. He was a Westover Honors College fellow, soon-to-be four-time Academic All-ODAC honoree, a three time USTFCCCA All-Academic pick, and a mainstay on Lynchburg's dean's list.

When considering his involvement on campus, it may be easier to ask what Gmurek hasn't done. He was president of Lynchburg's chapter of Society of Human Resources, vice-president and secretary of the Hornets' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and president of Lynchburg's Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership) honor society. He is a member of Phi Eta Sigma (first-year) and Chi Alpha Sigma (student-athlete) honor societies. Gmurek participated in numerous community service ventures including Big Brothers, Big Sisters as well as the Lynchburg Humane Society. He applied his love for running in community circles at the John A. Stephenson Memorial Youth Run, Virginia 10-Miler, and Kids Healthy Running Series.

Gmurek has accepted a job as a human resources business partner with Northrop Grumman in McLean, Va. He is slated to begin his tenure in July 2020.

In his athletic arenas, Gmurek was a two-time All-ODAC honoree in cross country and six-time all-conference standout in track & field. He placed 12th overall (27:05.8) to earn All-ODAC Second Team laurels at the 2018 cross country championships. He went on to finish 44th at the NCAA South/Southeast Region Championships that season. He climbed eight spots to earn All-ODAC First Team status in 2019 by placing fourth (25:14.7) at the ODAC Championships over the eight-kilometer course in Salem, Va. He improved to 19th (25:46.2) at the regional championships, helping him earn USTFCCCA All-South/Southeast Region honors.

On the track, Gmurek won the ODAC 800-meter run twice at the 2019 outdoor and 2020 indoor championships. He finished second in that race in 2018 outdoors and 2019 indoors. He also placed second in the 2020 indoor mile and joined his teammates for a third place showing in the 2017 outdoor 4x400-meter relay. Gmurek earned All-South/Southeast Region status from the USTFCCCA for his role in helping Lynchburg set a new record (10:16.01) in the distance medley relay this season. He is second all-time at Lynchburg in the indoor 800-meter run (1:53.99 in 2020) and fifth in program history in the outdoor 800-meter run (1:55.10 in 2019).

2020 Marjorie Berkley Award Nominees

• Calista Ariel, Bridgewater | Cross Country/Track & Field
• Leah Wenger, Eastern Mennonite | Soccer
  
• Sydney McKinney, Emory & Henry | Basketball
• Layura Henley, Ferrum | Volleyball
• Abigail Horchar, Guilford | Lacrosse
• Caitlin Dorsch, Lynchburg | Soccer
• Kelly Williams, Randolph-Macon | Basketball
• Christina Martin, Roanoke | Soccer
• Jordan Sondrol, Shenandoah | Basketball
• Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan | Softball
• Emily Hageboeck, Washington and Lee | Swimming

2020 Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award Nominees

• Jacob Talley, Bridgewater | Baseball
• Derrick Yates, Emory & Henry | Football
• Brian Mann, Ferrum | Football
• Spell Carr, Hampden-Sydney | Soccer
• Shawn Gmurek, Lynchburg | Cross Country/Track & Field
• Jason Sarro, Roanoke | Lacrosse
• Daniel Small, Shenandoah | Football
• Brian Peccie, Washington and Lee | Golf