News Release
UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release
Thursday, July 03, 2008

UOIT STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

OSHAWA -­ The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is proud to announce that student-athletes Eric Andres (Philippines), Rob DeVries (Guelph, Ont.), Giannetta Savarino (Pickering, Ont.) and Bianca Savarino-Easter (Whitby, Ont.) have been recognized as 2007-2008 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Academic Award recipients.

This prestigious award recognizes a student’s dedication and commitment to sport as well as his or her outstanding grade point average (GPA) and commitment to academics. To receive this award, students must be enrolled in full-time courses, compete full-time on a varsity team and be able to maintain a minimum 3.7 GPA.

”We are extremely proud of the four recipients who earned this prestigious award,” stated Ken Babcock, Director of Athletics. “The student-athletes work very hard to achieve academic and athletic excellence and we could not be happier to have such great individuals represent UOIT.”

Giannetta Savarino was a member of the women’s tennis team this past varsity season. A recent graduate from the Faculty of Education, she took home top honours at the UOIT Athletic Banquet in March as she was awarded with the UOIT Female Scholastic award with a 4.03 GPA. Bianca Savarino-Easter (women’s tennis program) has also just graduated from the Faculty of Education. Bianca was named the UOIT Women’s Tennis MVP for the 2007-08 season.

Eric Andres and Rob DeVries were members of the men's rowing program during the 2007-08 season which won the inaugural Team of the Year award at the UOIT Athletic Banquet. Devries is a recent graduate from the Faculty of Criminology Justice and Policy Studies while Andres is a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Andres took home the UOIT Male Scholastic award this season with a 4.06 GPA.

Rachelle Krause (Courtice, Ont.) & Geoff Chadsey (Ottawa, Ont.) earned the award last season during the Ridgebacks inaugural season in the OUA.
 
UOIT  OUA ALL-ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS
Eric Andres (Philippines) – Men’s Rowing
Rob DeVries (Location, Ont.) – Men’s Rowing
Giannetta Savarino (Pickering, Ont.) – Women’s Tennis
Bianca Savarino-Easter (Whitby, Ont.) – Women’s Tennis

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca

Pictured: Giannetta Savarino (left) & Bianca Savarino-Easter (right) receiving their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Academic Award certificate)