By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director
MONT ALTO, Pa. – A new award will be presented this upcoming April during the annual Academic and Leadership Awards Ceremony on the campus of Penn State Mont Alto. The event, which honors students and faculty members for their accomplishments, will now include recognizing the Marty Ogle Student-Athlete of the Year.
This award, named after long-time Director of Athletics Robert "Marty" Ogle, will be presented annually to a current student-athlete from a men's team and a current student-athlete from a women's team who has distinguished themselves throughout their Penn State Mont Alto careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic prowess, and leadership. Student-athletes deserving of this award should also exemplify Marty Ogle's qualities of caring, leadership, and competitiveness.
In order to be nominated, student-athletes must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have participated on an intercollegiate varsity team during the current academic year
- The student must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and
- The student must have distinguished himself or herself on the field of play (e.g. school records/team records/conference records, received honors/recognitions, named to all-conference teams, named to All-American teams, etc.). Student-athletes deserving of this award will also exemplify Marty Ogle's qualities of caring, leadership, and competitiveness.
Ogle served as the Mont Alto Director of Athletics for 28 years before retiring in June of 2016. He served as a senior leader within the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC), holding the role of President of the Council of Athletic Directors for 15 years. He helped guide the CCAC, the predecessor to the PSUAC, through its transition from two-year to four-year eligibility, as well as the PSUAC's membership into the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). Gaining membership into the USCAA allowed student-athletes to compete for national championships as well as earn recognition as All-Americans or Academic All-Americans.
While serving as Penn State Mont Alto's athletic director, Ogle also was the men's basketball coach from 1998 to 2008. He compiled a 178-62 record coaching the Nittany Lions to a CCAC Conference Championship in 2002. He guided the team to CCAC Eastern Division titles in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and earned CCAC Coach of the Year recognition during the same time span. Marty passed away in March after a short and courageous battle with cancer.
"When Marty passed away, I publicly expressed the desire to find a way for the campus to appropriately recognize his legacy", said Dr. Francis K. Achampong, Penn State Mont Alto's Chancellor. "The Marty Ogle Student-Athlete of the Year Award will serve as a fitting tribute to Marty for the foreseeable future," remarked Achampong.
Recognizing student-athletes who embody the Penn State spirit of competition and excellence with the Marty Ogle Student-Athlete of the Year Award will be a fitting tribute to Marty's long service, energy, and dedication to Penn State Mont Alto for years to come.
Be sure to stay up to date on all your Penn State Mont Alto news, scores, and awards by following @PSUMAathletics on Twitter and by liking the "Penn State Mont Alto Athletics" Facebook page.