April 29, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior Meagan Gins (Albuquerque, N.M./Valley), a three-time first-team all-conference selection and a member of the Bison women's water polo team, received a special award at the University's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Bison Club and held in Sojka Pavilion on Tuesday, April 29.

Gins won the Bison Club Award, presented to the senior athletes "who best exemplify the winning spirit of the University's athletic program." Gins shared the award with Ira Reibeisen of the men's tennis team, who was the male selection.

In addition to Gins, several other student-athletes were honored at the banquet, including the winners of the Christy Mathewson Award, given to the most outstanding athletes in the senior class.

Gins, a team captain this year, recently concluded her career as the Bison all-time leader in goals (237), points (351), ejections drawn (271), games started (129) and shots (577).

A four-year starter, Gins was a first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore, junior and senior and was named Honorable Mention All-America as a sophomore. She was a second-team all-conference choice as a freshman when she also copped the team's Rookie of the Year award.

This year, Gins posted 57 goals, 45 assists and 102 points. Her point and assist totals were both second on the team, while she was third in goals. She was also among the team leaders in steals (46) and ejections drawn (64).

A multiple-time member of both the CWPA and ACWPC All-Academic Teams, Gins helped lead Bucknell to an 87-47 record over her four years, the best in program history. In fact, all three of the 20-win seasons in program annals have come during Gins' tenure.

Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Patriot League and has full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents' Cup, signifying the Patriot League's all-sports champion, in 13 of 17 years, including nine of the last 10.

Recently, 17 Bison programs - the seventh-most in Division I - earned NCAA Public Recognition for having Academic Performance Rates in the top 10 percent nationally in their respective sport. In addition, Bucknell ranks fifth in Division I in the total number of CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, with 114 national Academic All-Americans since 1970.