May 8, 2012

Irwin, Palumbo named Sportsman/Sportswoman of Year

GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College has selected senior football standout Tim Irwin (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and junior swimming All-American Angela Palumbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) as its Omicron Delta Kappa Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively, for the 2011-12 academic year.

Irwin and Palumbo received their awards Saturday at Honors Convocation in Harbison Chapel.

Irwin earned four letters as an outside linebacker for Grove City and started each of the last three seasons. He finished second on the team last fall with 66 tackles. Irwin intercepted one pass and forced two fumbles. He concluded his career by starting 30 consecutive games.

He had 52 tackles and an interception in 2010, helping Grove City field the Presidents' Athletic Conference's top defense. 

In March, the NCAA awarded Irwin a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship in recognition of his outstanding academic and athletic performance.

Irwin has compiled a 3.67 grade-point average while majoring in molecular biology. He is a Dean's List student who has been named to the conference's Academic Honor Roll. Irwin has been inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa and Roundtable honoraries, along with the Beta Beta Beta biology honorary.

He is also a Grove City College Presidential Scholarship recipient and earned Capital One/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District from the region's sports information directors last fall.

Palumbo becomes the first junior to earn Sportswoman of the Year honors. She is the most-decorated female student-athlete in Grove City College history, having earned 15 career All-America citations at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Palumbo earned All-America honors in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free on an individual basis and contributed to All-America performances in all three free relays at the 2012 NCAA Championships in March.

Her efforts helped Grove City place 10^th nationally in the team standings. In 2010, Palumbo captured All-America distinction in five events, helping the Wolverines finish 11^th at the NCAA meet. Last year, she garnered All-America in four relay events as Grove City again took 11^th nationally.

Palumbo owns school records in the 50, 100 and 200 free events and in all five relays. She has helped Grove City capture three straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference titles.

A mathematics major, Palumbo owns a 3.71 GPA and has been nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-America consideration. She is a Dean’s List student and has been named to the conference’s Academic Honor Roll. Palumbo has also received the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association’s All-Academic award.

She has been inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi education honorary and the Kappa Mu Epsilon math honorary. Like Irwin, she has been awarded the Presidential Scholarship and the College’s Scholar-Athlete honor.

Grove City first awarded its Sportsperson of the Year award in 1948. In 1982, the College split the award into Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.

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