Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's J.J. Szmadzinski Named PL Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of Year
5/3/2012 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 3, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell junior J.J. Szmadzinski (Northville, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) has been voted the 2012 Patriot League Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. Szmadzinski posted the team's best scoring average this past season while carrying a 3.90 cumulative grade-point average in Bucknell's challenging management program.
Szmadzinski logged a team-best 76.3 stroke average in 2011-12. He shot 79-75-74 to finish T-19th at the Patriot League Championship last weekend. Szmadzinski's best rounds of the year were an even-par 70 at the Bucknell Invitational and an even-par 72 at the Joe Agee William & Mary Invitational.
Away from the golf course, Szmadzinski is working toward a BSBA in management. He has been a member of the Bucknell Dean's List every semester so far and has also been an annual member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
He recently accepted an internship for this summer in the Private Banking division at J.P. Morgan. Last summer he interned in auditing at Pikstein & Metzger PLLC in Michigan. On campus, Szmadzinski serves as treasurer of the Bucknell Interfraternity Council, managing an $80,000 budget. In that role, he has organized several campus-wide events that raised funds for alcohol awareness programming.
In addition, Szmadzinski serves as a teaching assistant for the Financial Accounting II course. He represents the men's golf program on the Bucknell Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and he is a member of the Bucknell Business Leaders Club.
Szmadzinski is the seventh Bison to earn Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in the Patriot League, but the first since Josh Hartman in 1997. Hartman (1996-97), Jeff Graf (1994-95) and Doug Dollenberg (1992-93) each claimed the honor twice.
In addition to being singled out as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Szmadzinski also made the five-man Academic All-Patriot League Team for men's golf. He joined Lehigh's Andrew Arnold, Army's Matt Philie, Navy's Peter Reilly and Colgate's Will Zabel in that group.
The Bison men's golf team finished in fourth place at last week's Patriot League Championship, which was held at the Bucknell Golf Club.
