Pittsburgh, Pa. – Graduate student
Kiearra Saldi of Duquesne University was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year for bowling Thursday. In addition, Saldi was one of six student-athletes that was named to the 2024 NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll as well as one of four named to the 2024 NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll.
To be eligible for the NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must be an active member of an officially recognized varsity team and own a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher. Freshmen are eligible for the honor roll. To be named to the NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll, a student-athlete must own a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better.
Saldi, a native of Taylor, Pa., posted a cumulative GPA of 3.90 in pursuing a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She is the first member of the Duquesne bowling team in program history to be honored with the NEC Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year, snapping a six-year stretch in which a student-athlete from Sacred Heart claimed the honor.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Saldi led the Dukes in strikes during traditional play with 199 while also finishing second in the category baker play (336). She also led Duquesne in spare conversion percentage during Baker play at 85.9 percent, which ranked 14th in NCAA Division I. In single-pin spare percentage, Saldi finished seventh in the country at 93.7 percent and also produced a Player Composite Performance Index (PCPI) of 82.162 percent in 999 frames, a tally that led the Dukes and ranked 36th in NCAA Division I.
Saldi wrapped up a stellar career at Duquesne in 2023-24, helping the Dukes finish with an overall record of 71-36 (.664), including a mark of 17-4 (.810) in the NEC. Duquesne won its second consecutive, and first outright, NEC regular-season crown, established a school record for victories and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. Saldi was named the 2024 NEC Bowler of the Year, earned a spot on the 2024 All-NEC First Team and was one of 18 student-athletes named to the 2023-24 Honorable Mention All-America Team by the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA).
Joining Saldi on the 2024 NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll is seniors
Brenna Gleim and
Shannon Small, junior
Ranelle Ulanday, sophomore
Emma Siekierski and freshman
Maribeth Baker. Gleim earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education (PreK-4) while maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA, while Small is pursuing a degree in pharmacy from Duquesne and has notched a 3.44 GPA.
Ulanday, a chemistry major, has posted a 3.84 cumulative GPA, while Siekierski owns a 3.76 GPA as an athletic training major. Baker, the 2024 NEC Rookie of the Year, concluded her first year on the Bluff with a 3.61 GPA as a digital media arts major. Saldi, Gleim, Ulanday and Siekierski also earned spots on the 2024 NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll.
A total of 811 student-athletes across seven sports were named to the
2024 NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll, including 309 tabbed to the 2024 NEC Winter Commissioner's Honor Roll.
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