FOR RELEASE: Monday, June 19, 2017
CONTACT: Matthew Chmura (610-751-7330 / [email protected])
Philadelphia Inquirer Announces Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Team;
Widener’s Samantha DeCapua Named Performer of the Year
PHILADELPHIA – Widener’s Samantha DeCapua has been named the 2016-17 Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area Women’s
Track & Field Performer of the Year. In addition, DeCapua is one of 10 student-athletes selected to the Philadelphia Inquirer
Academic All-Area Women’s Track & Field Team. Voting was conducted by the sports information offices of 30 institutions
from the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
DeCapua, a senior criminal justice and sociology major, recently graduated as a valedictorian of Widener’s Class of 2017 with
a perfect 4.00 GPA. She earned a place on the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and is being recognized by
PhillySIDA as an Academic All-Area performer for the second year. DeCapua, who holds school records in the heptathlon and
pentathlon, has also been a four-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection during her career and most notably made the
first team in the heptathlon.
Off the track, the senior has been a member of the elite ROTC program at Widener and was recently ranked by U.S. Army
Cadet Command as the number four of 5,508 senior cadets in the nation. In addition, she has been a student mentor, a member
of Student Government and has been enrolled in Widener’s Honors Program of General Education.
DeCapua is joined on the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area Team by Lulu Allen-Waller of Swarthmore; Bella Burda, Siofra
Cleirigh Buttner and Caroline Hamilton of Villanova; Nicole Giannetti and Katie Sullivan of Haverford; Millie Hample of
Rutgers-Camden; and Kim Johnson and Jessalynn Wright of Rowan.
2016-17 PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ACADEMIC ALL-AREA WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD TEAM
Student-Athlete
School
Cl.
Major
Hometown
Lulu Allen-Waller
Swarthmore
Sr.
Biology
Madison, Wis.
Bella Burda
Villanova
So.
Biology
Pleasant Valley, N.Y.
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner
Villanova
Jr.
Communication
Dublin, Ireland
Samantha DeCapua
Widener
Sr.
Criminal Justice/Sociology
Barnegat, N.J.
Nicole Giannetti
Haverford
Jr.
Biology
Oyster Bay, N.Y.
Caroline Hamilton
Villanova
Sr.
Psychology
Nottingham, N.Y.
Millie Hample
RutgersSr.
Pure Mathematics
West Deptford, N.J.
Camden
Kim Johnson
Rowan
Jr.
Subject Matter Education
Dumont, N.J.
(Math)
Katie Sullivan
Haverford
Jr.
Biology
Rutherford, N.J.
Jessalynn Wright
Rowan
Sr.
Civil/Environmental
Marlton, N.J.
Engineering
Performer of the Year: Samantha DeCapua, Widener