BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Two NCAA Division II Academic All-Americans have been chosen as West Liberty University's finalists for the Mountain East Conference's eighth annual Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
    Audrey Tingle, the 2022 NCAA Division II National Academic All-American of the Year for women's basketball, and Cole Laya, a 2-time NCAA Division II national wrestling champion and a 2-time NCAA Division II Academic All-American figure to be among the top contenders for the prestigious awards.
     Tingle, a record-setting point guard from West Lafayette, Ohio, spent her final season re-writing the WLU and NCAA record books. On the court, she set an NCAA Division II single-season record with 6 triple-doubles and was the only NCAA woman at any level to combine 300+ rebounds with 200+ assists. She ranked No. 2 nationally with 212 assists and 7.1 assists/game while ranking 12^th in the nation with 312 rebounds despite standing just 5-6. Averaging a double-double (14.1 ppg., 10.5 rpg.) as a senior, she finished her career with 1,241 points, 998 rebounds, 856 assists and 198 steals. The 856 assists rank 7^th in NCAA Division II history while the 998 rebounds are No. 2 on the WLU career list.
    A first-team All-MEC and All-Region selection, Tingle also earned honorable mention All-America honors from the WBCA and was a 4-time MEC Player of the Week. After graduating last year with a Speech Pathology/Audiology degree, Tingle is currently wrapping up her MBA degree and will begin studying for her master's in Speech Pathology/Audiology in the fall. The first-team NCAA Division II Academic All-American has maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA since arriving on campus.
    Laya, a Fairmont, W.Va. native, was one of six finalists for the 2022 NCAA Division II National Wrestler of the Year Award after blitzing through the 125-pound field at the 2022 Nationals in St. Louis to claim his second straight national championship. A 4-time NCAA Division II All-American and 3-time Super Region 3 champion, Laya posted a dazzling 27-3 record this winter and has an impressive 81-9 career mark. The 2-time MEC Wrestler of the Year was also voted Super Region 3 Wrestler of the Year.
    The Hilltopper mat standout is also an elite student in his Exercise Physiology major. The two-time NCAA Division II Academic All-American was recently honored as a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for the fourth consecutive season. Earlier this week he was a repeat selection on the MEC All-Academic Team and is currently riding a streak of three consecutive semesters with perfect 4.00 GPAs.
    The MEC Scholar-Athlete Awards were created to recognize the conference's male and female student-athletes who achieved at a high level in the classroom and on the playing field. Minimum qualifications are a 3.30 grade-point average, participation in at least 50 percent of the team's contests in an MEC-sponsored sport and a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
    The MEC Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year will be determined by a vote of MEC administrators and league office personnel. Results of the league-wide balloting will be announced later this month.
  2015: Conor Branson (Charleston, Soccer)
2016: Conor Branson (Charleston, Soccer)
2017: DAN MONTEROSO (WEST LIBERTY, BASKETBALL)
2018: DAN MONTEROSO (WEST LIBERTY, BASKETBALL)
2019: John Cominsky (Charleston, Football)
2020: Tony Vezzetti (Notre Dame, Wrestling)
2021: DALTON BOLON (WEST LIBERTY, BASKETBALL) 2015: Nichole Perry (Charleston, Basketball)
2016: Lauren Langenderfer (Notre Dame, Basketball)
2017: Kayce Krucki (Wheeling Jesuit, Volleyball)
2018: Mackenzie Harrison (Fairmont State, Volleyball)
2019: Kristine Gegeshidze (Charleston, Tennis)
2020: Haley Kramer (Wheeling, Volleyball)
2021: Sierra Kotchman (Fairmont State, Basketball)