June 17, 2003
Terry McNelis (Reading, PA/Exeter Twp.), Duquesne University's 2003 Male Student-Athlete of the Year and the Atlantic 10 Conference's Men's Soccer Co-Student-Athlete of the Year, has received one of four postgraduate scholarships awarded this week by the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is the eighth Duquesne student-athlete to be awarded the scholarship in the program's 13-year history. Duquesne has had more recipients than any other Atlantic 10 institution.
McNelis, who earlier this spring had a tryout with the Washington D.C. United of the Major League Soccer, will continue his education at Duquesne, pursuing a Master's Degree in physical therapy.
McNelis led a Duquesne defense that went 13-3-5 and finished second in the Atlantic 10 with a 7-1-3 league record. The Dukes were also the runnerup in the 2002 Atlantic 10 championship game. The keeper from Reading, PA was between the pipes for all of those games, registering five shutouts en route to second-team All-Conference honors. His 1.19 goals against average was second in the Atlantic 10, while his 97 saves and 4.62 per game average was good for six best in the league. He also posted a .724 save percentage.
McNelis is the Duquesne record-holder in three of the five single-season goalkeeping categories as well as all five career standards.
In the classroom, McNelis compiled a 3.64 grade point average in physical therapy. McNelis is a third-team Academic All-American and has been on the Dean's List every semester at Duquesne.
The other recipients are softballers and teammates Brandi Cross and Kaila Holtz of Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure's men's swimmer Borut Poje.
