MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – It was announced today that Penn State Harrisburg men's basketball player Kenton Alston (Harrisburg, PA/Steel-High) and women's tennis player Theodora Avramidis (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township) have been named the school's male and female Student-Athletes of the Year.

Alston, a four-year member of the men's squad, was the 2011-2012 team captain. During his illustrious career, the Steel-High grad led his team to back-to-back North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) regular season championships and two consecutive league tournament championship games.  His high-caliber play during his time wearing the blue and white earned him a multitude of accolades, including being named to the NEAC's all-conference first-team three times and repeatedly being selected as the league's Student-Athlete of the Week.  Alston is an active member of Penn State Harrisburg's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has spearheaded the group's efforts in reading to elementary school children.  A model of high character, the Harrisburg native has also made sacrifices off the court as a member of the United States military.  Thanks to his serving our country, he became the first Penn State Harrisburg student-athlete to appear in Sports Illustrated in the magazine's "Faces In the Crowd" feature.  Alston is a Criminal Justice major and has earned a 3.17 GPA en route to winning the NEAC's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2010-11.  He will undoubtedly go down as the cornerstone of the Lions' men's basketball program and the honor is well deserved.

Avramidis is the Lions' number two singles player, one half of the number one doubles pair and the squad's 2011-2012 team captain.  The junior is a transfer from Penn State's main campus at University Park and has been a welcome addition to Penn State Harrisburg both on and off the court.  Avramidis was named to the NEAC's 2012 all-conference third team as both a singles and doubles competitor.  She is on pace to graduate with a degree in both Marketing and Management and she is involved in a variety of activities on campus.  Avramidis is working with a group of students on the reactivation of the school's Marketing club and she is the vice president of SAAC, lending a hand in all of the group's work.  She is also vice president of the Mu Kappa Tau marketing honors society and is a finalist for a resident advisor position with Penn State Harrisburg's Residence Life.  Avramidis has already received the women's tennis team's Scholar-Athlete Award and will be receiving the squad's Coach's Award at season's end.  Her outstanding 3.8 GPA proves that she represents the blue and white's student-athlete contingent in an utmost fashion.  She is an all-around contributor to the campus as a whole and is extremely deserving of this year's award.