Birchard, Longo, Allen Earn National Strength and Conditioning All-American Athlete Award Honors
CLAREMONT, Calif. - The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce men's soccer's William Birchard, women's basketball's Lauren Longo, and women's tennis' Catherine Allen from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps as All-American Athlete Award recipients for the 2019-20 season.
This award recognizes student-athlete's athletic accomplishments and their dedication to strength and conditioning. Nominated by the strength and conditioning staff of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics, their determination to improve in athletics while maintaining academic prominence is a great model for all student-athletes at CMS.
Birchard is a junior defender for the CMS men's soccer program, who earned All-America honors from the United Soccer Coaches this fall. He has helped the Stags to the last two SCIAC regular season titles, as well as an NCAA Regional title this year, when he scored twice in a 2-0 win over Texas Lutheran in the opening round.
"Will has strived to improve his performance on and off the field," said CMS Strength and Conditioning Head Coach Andrew Jones. "He is a pleasure to work with, and we are continuously discussing ways to improve the team's performance and culture. Will leads by example and is consistently encouraging his teammates to give their best effort."
Longo was a captain for the women's basketball team this winter, who has helped the Athenas to three SCIAC regular season titles in her career. She won the SCIAC's Ed Baldwin Leadership Award this winter, after serving as the Scripps President of the CMS Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was also the winner of the Hank Krieger Award from CMS for her academic excellence, athletic excellence and leadership.
Lauren is a consummate team player, a leader by voice and example, and motivates her teammates to be their best," said Jones. "Her efforts resulted in a significant increase in playing time from junior to senior season, and she consistently guarded the best scorer from the opposition. Her effort leadership, and attitude in the weight room, court, and greater CMS community will be difficult to replace."
Allen graduated this spring as one of the most decorated athletes in CMS history. She won a team national title with the Athenas in 2018, then won the NCAA doubles championship as a junior in 2019. She was a seven-time All-American, and finished her senior season ranked No. 1 in doubles and No. 2 in singles, while leading the Athenas to a 14-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking.
"Catherine is an extremely motivated and dedicated student-athlete," said Jones. "Her effort and dedication have resulted in seven All-American honors and numerous All-Conference and regional awards. In addition to being a great teammate and leader, she demonstrates an unrelenting passion to improve and persevere through any setback."
About the National Strength & Conditioning Association: The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit professional association founded in 1978 and is dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning profession around the world. The NSCA advances the profession by supporting strength and conditioning professionals devoted to helping others discover and maximize their strengths. The organization disseminates research-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, and continuing education opportunities. The NSCA community is composed of more than 45,000 members and certified professionals who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength coaches, personal trainers, and other roles in related fields.
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, the NSCA serves as a valuable resource for its members, the fitness industry, general public, and the media. The association provides a wide variety of resources and opportunities designed to strengthen, build, advance, and unify.