Meehan, Benjamin, and Falcon Earn Post-Season CAC Awards

Dan Meehan, Annetta Benjamin, and Kareem Falcon earned the 2003-2004 Capital Athletic Conference post-season awards announced on Thursday morning by a vote of the league’s athletic directors and sports information directors. Meehan was named the Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year while Benjamin earned the Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Falcon was selected as the conference’s Unsung Hero award winner.
Meehan, a senior men’s soccer player from Salisbury University, leaves Salisbury as one of the top players in the CAC over the last two years. Meehan led the Sea Gulls to the 2003 CAC Championship in addition to helping the Gulls advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament final eight. Meehan was Salisbury’s leading scorer in 2003 with nine goals and six assists for 24 points. Salisbury finished 16-3-3 in 2003 and posted a record of 31-6-4 in Meehan’s two years at SU. Meehan earned a number of individual accolades in 2003 as he was an NSCAA first-team All-American, an NSCAA first-team all-South Regional All-American, and the 2003 CAC Player of the Year. He was also a 2001 first-team All-South Regional All-American and first-team All-CAC. He missed the 2002 season due to a knee injury.
Meehan was the 2003-04 Salisbury University Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and was one of just 11 players to be named a national first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He has earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, earned the Salisbury Piepenbring Scholarship, and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Meehan is a Finance major and owns a 3.96 GPA and a 4.0 GPA in his major.
Benjamin, a senior women’s basketball player from Marymount University, closed out her career as one of the top players in Marymount University history. This season, Benjamin led the Saints to a record of 26-5 as Marymount won the CAC regular season and tournament titles in addition to advancing to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight. Benjamin averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 0.87 blocked shots per game in 31 games in 2003-04. Her junior year saw the Saints go 23-7 as they won the CAC Championship in addition to earning a berth in the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen. She averaged 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocked shots. For her career, Benjamin collected 926 points, 668 rebounds, 176 steals, 56 blocked shots, and 236 free throws made. She earned various on-court honors as a senior as she was a first-team All-CAC pick, a second-team D3hoops.com All-American, a Kodak All-American finalist, the MVP of the MU Tip-Off Tournament, an all-tournament pick at the SCAD Tournament, and was a member of the NCAA Sectional Tournament team.
Academically, Benjamin is a first-team District 3 Academic All-American, the Marymount University Female Scholar Athlete, and a two-year member of the Dean’s List. She earned first-team Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar honors as a junior while also earning induction into the Delta Epislon National Honor Society, and Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society. Benjamin is a Psychology major and owns an overall GPA of 3.93 and a major GPA of 4.0.
Falcon, a junior softball player from Salisbury University, earned the Unsung Hero award after making one of the largest sacrifices possible by serving her country in war this past year. Falcon is a member of the 443rd Military Police Army Reserve and she was called to active duty in February of 2003. She missed the entire 2003 softball season while serving with her unit in Iraq and Kuwait, enduring 150-degree heat while working 12-hour shifts guarding some of Iraq’s most dangerous prisoners. When not on duty, she took classes on-line in order to continue working towards her degree. Falcon missed one playing season and two semesters of school but her spirit remained strong. She corresponded with teammates and coaches by email throughout her time overseas, including daily messages of encouragement during Salisbury’s run to the 2003 Division III World Series. Her unit returned from Iraq on December 6 and she returned to school in January. Her contributions to the team have helped guide Salisbury back to the World Series.
Falcon is a two-year starter in left for the Sea Gulls. She currently owns a batting average of .363 with 29 runs scored, 22 RBIs, and 41 hits. In 2002, Falcon hit .398 with a team-leading five home runs. Falcon was named to the CAC all-conference softball team in both 2002 and 2004 while she earned all-tournament team honors at the 2002 College World Series and the Mid-Atlantic regional.
Falcon is a Physical Education major and carries a 3.0 GPA.