Three Winter Student-Athletes Earn Scholar-Athlete of the Season Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Wright State senior Kim Demmings, Valparaiso senior Vashil Fernandez and Detroit junior Rosanna Reynolds have been named the Winter Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Season, respectively.

Demmings achieved a 3.20 grade point average in the classroom as a sports management Master’s student at Wright State. The senior was recognized on the Horizon League Honor Roll as well as the Wright State Dean’s List.

On the court for the Raiders, Demmings earned Player of the Year accolades as she became the all-time leading scorer in Horizon League women’s basketball history in addition to becoming Wright State’s all-time scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball. Demmings was also a member of the Horizon League All-Tournament Team and was one of 52 All-Region nominees for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American Team. The senior was selected to the Naismith Watch list all season long as she led the conference in scoring and was fourth in threes made per game, 10th in steals per game and 15th in rebounds per game.

Fernandez is earning his Master’s of international economics and finance at Valparaiso and holds a 3.957 GPA. He already owns a bachelor’s degree in international business and a master’s degree in international commerce and policy from Valparaiso. Fernandez was a member of the Horizon League Honor Roll each semester eligible and on the Horizon League Academic All-League Team last season.

As a member of the men’s basketball team, Fernandez led the nation in blocked shots per game (3.3) and set a new school and Horizon League record for single-season blocked shots with 119. The senior broke the Crusader’s career blocked shots record and finished his career with 289 career blocks. Fernandez was honored with the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com and was the first two-time honoree in League history to be named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Fernandez anchored the Crusader’s top-10 nationally ranked defense as the team won a program-record 30 games and advanced to the NIT title game.

Reynolds is in the five-year MBA program at Detroit where she holds a 3.74 GPA as a business major. The junior was voted to the 2014-15 Horizon League Winter All-Academic Team and has been on the League’s Honor Roll every semester eligible. Reynolds has earned distinct honors at Detroit collecting the Athletic Department’s Dad Butler Award in 2014-15, given to the student-athlete who shows dedication to practice and having the ability to rehabilitate an injury to her capabilities and also the Larry Bleach Award, presented to the student-athlete who sets the strength and conditioning standards for others to follow. Reynolds was honored on the Detroit’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester eligible and is a candidate for the Athletic Department’s Titan Club Awards for the 2015-16 academic season.

Reynolds played a key role on the women’s basketball team at Detroit where she earned First Team All-League accolades and was a two-time Player of the Week selection. The junior broke the single-game record with 15 assists in the Titans’ win at Wright State and became the 20th player in school history to reach 1,000 points. At the conclusion of the season, Reynolds ranks 15th all-time at Detroit in scoring with 1,226 points and was third in the conference in assists per game (5.0), tied for sixth in points per game (15.6), and second in both free throw percentage (87.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).

The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes at the conclusion of each of its three athletic seasons. To be eligible for Scholar-Athlete of the Season consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale) and are honored on a combination of athletic and academic achievement.