2011-12 SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athletes

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senior defender Shannon Cobb (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) of the State University of New York at New Paltz women's soccer team was selected as the State University of New York Athletic Conference's (SUNYAC) 2011-12 SUNY Chancellor Scholar-Athlete Award winner for women's soccer, as announced Wednesday by SUNY. There were 79 recipients in total.

The Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Awards are given annually in each sport per conference to the All-Conference honoree with the highest cumulative grade-point average. In order to be considered for this award, student-athletes were nominated by their campus athletic director. Nominees' academic credentials and athletic accomplishments were then reviewed by a panel of athletic directors from across the State University system and members of the provost's office. All nominees must have completed at least three semesters.

“SUNY students who earn this award have excelled in our classrooms as well as our athletic programs,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “With an average GPA of 3.6 and a number of championship competitions among them, this year's scholar athlete awardees are a highly commendable group.”

Cobb served as a center back for the Hawks' back four, helping the team post a program-record-setting 14 shutouts. The two-year captain drew starts in all 23 of the Hawks' matches this season, and she scored three goals for a total of six points for the year. New Paltz finished the 2011 campaign ranked 11th in NCAA Division III in goals-against average (0.46) and tied for 22nd in NCAA Division III in shutout percentage (.609 shutouts per game). As a result of her standout season, she was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) NCAA Division III Women's All-East Region Third Team, the All-SUNYAC First Team, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Upstate Women's Soccer All-Star Team and following the 2011 SUNYAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament, she was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Cobb, an elementary education major with a cumulative GPA of 3.70, is a 2008 graduate of Arlington High School, and her parents are Timothy and Marcy Cobb of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She has been named to the SUNYAC Commissioner's List twice (2010-11) and the SUNYAC All-Academic Team on three occasions (2009-11).

Cobb is the 13th New Paltz student-athlete to garner SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete recognition.