MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – On Wednesday, May 7, it was announced that Penn State Harrisburg women's soccer player Mackenzie Gates (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) and men's golfer Tyler Shank (Palmyra, Pa. / Palmyra Area) were named the school's 2013-14 Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year.

Standing out on the women's side, Gates, the Lions' goalkeeper, set a school record with 154 saves in 17 games; a number good enough to rank her first among Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) goalies this past season and 26th overall in the nation.  The junior captain recorded seven wins in goal this past fall including one shutout victory.  Mackenzie displayed incredible toughness on the pitch as well and played through a torn ligament in her hand and bruised ribs late in the season.  To go along with her impressive stats defending the net, she's also found success in the classroom as evidenced by her 3.35 GPA.

"Mackenzie's effort and drive to compete is nearly impossible to match," said head coach Adam Clay.  "She is a strong leader with a good attitude and her constant communication and direction from the back often replicates what we are thinking as coaches on the bench while the rest of the girls respect her knowledge of the game." 

On the men's side, Shank made a vast and immediate impact during his freshman campaign.  His biggest individual accolade came when he won the outright championship at the Gettysburg Invitational in March.  He finished tied for second place overall at the CAC championship tournament in late April and helped lead the Blue & White to a second place team finish.  For his efforts, he earned a spot on the league's all-conference first-team and was named the CAC Newcomer of the Year.  Tyler also excelled in the classroom, earning a 3.53 GPA in his first year on campus.

"It's very unusual that a freshman comes in and has this much impact," said head coach Mike Banzhoff.  "Tyler led our team in scoring average in the fall.  He was the leader after the first round at the Roanoke Invitational which included some Division II teams; this round tied the lowest round ever for a Penn State Harrisburg golfer."

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