Shane McCarrick of Hood College, At-Large Division III; Sue Ackermann of Salisbury University, Division III and Gretchen Kittelberger of the University of Maryland, Division I are the recipients of the 2008 Maryland Association of College Directors of Athletics (MACDA) post-graduate scholarships.

The scholarships recognize three student-athletes for superior work in the classroom and on the field. The honorees represent three Maryland institutions of higher learning and differing levels of NCAA competition. Each recipient will receive a one-time grant of $500 upon their enrollment in a post-graduate program.

To be eligible, student-athletes must possess a minimum 3.2 grade-point average in undergraduate studies, excel in a varsity sport, participate in leadership activities beyond the playing field and plan to further their education.

McCarrick was a founding member of the Blazers' men's soccer program and started 44 of 45 games in his four-year career. A defender from Middletown, Md., McCarrick ranks fifth all-time at Hood in career points with 17, scoring seven goals and tallying three assists. In 2006 and 2007, McCarrick was named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District II second and first teams, respectively. This past season, he was selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-America Third Team. A double-major in political science and economics with a minor in mathematics, McCarrick has been named to Dean's List every semester since he came to Hood in 2004 and boasts an impressive 3.95 grade-point average. McCarrick is a recipient of the Margaret Louse Kleist Prize for academic excellence, the Presidential Academic Scholarship and is a Laughlin Fellow. This year, McCarrick was selected to complete a Departmental Honors Thesis, a 12-month independent research project on "National Security's Domestic Surveillance of American Citizens." McCarrick is also a member of four honor societies, including Mortar Board, a national senior honor society; Phi Kappa Phi, a national multi-discipline honor society; Phi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society and Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international economics honor society. A four year-member of Hood's Honors Program, McCarrick has served as a mentor and a selection interviewer since 2007. Outside of the classroom, McCarrick serves as a member of the Model United Nations and is the treasurer of the Hood College Mortar Board. McCarrick has been accepted to George Mason University Law School, where he will look to pursue a career which incorporates both law and economics.

Ackermann, the captain of the Sea Gulls' top-ranked women's lacrosse team, currently leads the nation in points, goals and assists. The senior from Sykesville, Md., ranks sixth all-time in school history in points, third in assists and 13th in goals. Ackermann garnered a plethora of awards last year, including First Team All-American honors, Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year, CAC first team all-conference accolades and all-region honors. This season Ackermann is on the 2008 Tewaarton Trophy watch list and led the Sea Gulls to their sixth straight CAC tournament crown. An Exercise Science major with a minor in Marketing & Business Administration. Ackermann has been on the Dean's List seven times, and in 2007 was named to the ESPN Academic All-District II second team and to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. Ackermann is a recipient of the Capital Athletic Conference and Department Academic Honor Roll for academic excellence. She is a member of four honor societies, including Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Epsilon Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi; a three-year volunteer for the regional Senior Citizen Games held at Salisbury; a three-year SAAC officer; and in 2006 and 2007 volunteered for the Sea Gull Century 100-mile bike ride. Ackermann is an exercise science major with a minor in marketing and business administration and owns a sparkling 3.938 grade-point average. She has been accepted to Salisbury University Master's of Business Administration program.

Kittelberger was a fine ambassador for the Maryland gymnastics team over the past four years. After a solid start to her rookie campaign, which saw her earn an EAGL Rookie of the Week citation, Kittelberger suffered a season-ending knee injury at a meet at George Mason. However, she went on to capture NACGC Academic All-American honors and was selected to the EAGL all-academic team. The native of Webster, N.Y., made a speedy recovery and went on to compete in 11 meets in vault and uneven bars in 2006. Kittelberger was bestowed with numerous community service awards during her sophomore campaign, including the ACC Community Service Award and the Intercollegiate Athletics Community Service Award. Her coaches also honored her with the Perseverance Award at team banquet for her dedication and tenacity. By her junior year, she made the Terp lineup in balance bean and floor exercise in all 12 meets and developed into a threat in the all-around towards the end of the season. Kittelberger received the EAGL Scholar-Athlete of the Year award following the season and was tabbed Most Improved Gymnast at the team banquet. This past season, Kittlelberger served as a team tri-captain and earned EAGL all-tournament second team honors. Kittelberger's career high scores are also very impressive. Kittelberger's owns career bests of 9.825 in vault, 9.650 on uneven bars, 9.725 on beam, 9.825 on floor and 38.60 in the all-around. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology in 2007 and posted a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. Kittelberger is currently enrolled in the Kinesiology graduate program at UMD and has been accepted and will be attending the University of Virginia School of Law, where she will look to pursue the fields of Sports/Entertainment Law or International Law.