DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics Department announced the recipients of the Eagles of Excellence (formerly the ERAU Champions of Character scholarship) and Steve & Vicky Ridder scholarships at the annual Athletics Award Banquet held at the 500 Club at the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday evening. The recipients were selected from a pool of current Embry-Riddle student-athletes who submitted applications and were interviewed by a committee comprised of ERAU faculty and staff.
 
A commitment to academic achievement, campus and community involvement, personal holistic growth and a drive to excel in sport exemplifies the spirit of Steve and Vicky Ridder and the scholarship that bears their names. Each head coach is asked to submit a nominee that represents the ERAU athletics department ideal package - the student-person-player - and those nominees must then submit an essay describing the ways in which they exude the aforementioned characteristics.
 
The 2015-16 Steve & Vicky Ridder Scholarship was presented to two Embry-Riddle student-athletes: Olivia Lynch of the women's soccer team and Daniel Kiesling from the men's basketball team.
 
Lynch, a junior from Naples, Fla., has been a member of the women's soccer team for three seasons, earning the starting goalkeeper role in the last two.  In 2014, Lynch helped lead her team to the NAIA National Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history and was honored with first team NSCAA All-America and second team NAIA All-America accolades as a junior.
 
A member of the Embry-Riddle Army ROTC program, Lynch was named a First Sergeant for Charlie Company, one of the highest achievements a cadet can earn. In the classroom, Lynch boasts a 3.68 GPA in Aeronautics with minors in Homeland Security and Aeronautical Studies, which has afforded her Academic All-Conference and Daktroncis-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. Lynch's service to her community and her sport are evident with her volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, as an Army recruiter and as a goalkeeping coach.
 
Kiesling, a junior that hails from Lexington, Ky., wrapped up his junior season with the Blue and Gold by helping the Eagles make a run to the NAIA II National Tournament semifinals, finishing with a program-best 35-2 record. A two-year team captain, Kiesling started in 36 of the team's 37 games, averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Eagles.
 
Kiesling is in the Accalerated Masters program at Embry-Riddle, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a 3.41 GPA and will complete the program in five years. Kiesling was honored as the 2013-14 Cazzie Russell Sun Conference Champions of Character Award winner as a sophomore and was the team's Champions of Character representative at the NAIA National Tournament each of the last two years.
 
Kiesling's many service activities include Campus Outreach, where he has served as both President and Treasurer, the team's coordinator for Team IMPACT, a volunteer in the Big Brother program, and participating in two summer missions trips to Puerto Rico.
 
The Athletic Department also announced the nine Eagles of Excellence Scholarship winners, including Katherine Ebbs, Andrea Froshaug, Liam Goodall, Anna Gotz, Janina Helwig, Gudrun Johnson, Ryan Larson, Juan Verberne and Deni Zmak.
 
Ebbs finished her third season on the women's soccer team, appearing in 17 matches with seven goals and a team-best nine assists. A two-time member of the ERAU Athletics President's Team, Ebbs has a 3.84 GPA in Business Administration and will begin graduate work this fall. Ebbs has volunteered at a local preschool, Habitat for Humanity and as a coach for youth soccer players among many service opportunities.
 
Froshaug, also a member of the Embry-Riddle women's soccer team, was named the NAIA and NSCAA Player of the Year after scoring 16 goals and tallying seven assists for the national semifinalist Eagles. Froshaug's dedication in the classroom shows with a 3.94 GPA in Business Administration, and she was rewarded for her efforts with a first team Academic All-America honor this past season. The Eagle forward from Oslo, Norway has spent time volunteering at a local preschool, the Halifax Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity and the Daytona Women's Shelter.
 
A junior on the Eagle baseball team, Goodall has garnered first team All-Sun Conference honors and ranks fifth all-time in program history in career hits (193). The Nanaimo, British Columbia native carries a 3.74 GPA in Civil Engineering and was the Head of Structural Components for the ASCE Concrete Canoe Team in 2014-15. Goodall has spent time with the Best Foot Forward Program and as a volunteer at the Daytona Beach 100 Volleyball Tournament.
 
Gotz, a sophomore from Garsten, Austria, is in her second season with the women's tennis team. She earned first team NAIA All-America honors as a freshman and is a two-time 1^st team All-Conference selection, as well as the a member of the Doubles Team of the Year in the league. Gotz helped the Eagles to a NAIA National Runner-up finish in 2014. Majoring in Communication with a minor in Computer Science, Gotz boasts a 3.85 GPA and was an ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2014. Gotz has volunteered for numerous tennis camps, spent time volunteering for Food Brings Hope and the Florida Autism Center among other service projects.
 
Helwig is a junior defender on the women's soccer team, originally from Freiburg, Germany. Helwig was an integral part of an Eagle defense that tallied eight shutouts in 2014 and has twice been named a member of the Academic All-Sun Conference roster. She has a 3.8 GPA in Mechanical Engineering and is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society as well as a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society. Helwig has volunteered for numerous service projects, including the Color Me Kate Run, Habitat for Humanity, and at a local elementary school.
 
The fourth member of the women's soccer team to earn an Eagles of Excellence scholarship, Johnson is a sophomore from Reykjavik, Iceland. A defender, Johnson tallied a goal and helped the Eagles to eight shutouts in 2014 on the way to second team All-Sun Conference honors. Johnson boasts a 3.74 GPA in Business Administration and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Port Orange Family Days.
 
Larson is a junior from Pensacola, Fla. and is in his third season with the Embry-Riddle cross country and track & field teams. Larson has qualified for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Championships four times and was named a second team All-Conference performer in cross country in 2012 and 2014. An Air Traffic Management major, Larson carries a 3.69 GPA and is the Executive Treasurer of the Air Traffic Control Organization at ERAU, as well as a member of the ATC Honor Society. Larson's volunteer activities include the Hope for Haley 5k Run this past fall, as well as the Senior Games at Seabreeze High School.
 
Verberne, a native of Helmond, Netherlands, is in his third season with the Eagle tennis team that captured the 2013 NAIA National Championship and finished as the NAIA National Runner-up last season. Verberne has a 3.92 GPA in Aerospace Enginnering and is a member of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars. He has earned President's Team honors and Dean's List accolades five times. Verberne has volunteered his time by organizing tennis clinics, volunteering at the Palmetto House and painting a local church.
 
Men's tennis student-athlete Zmak is receiving the Eagles of Excellence Scholarship for the second time in his three-year Eagle career. A native of Pula, Croatia, he has captured nearly every individual honor in collegiate tennis, leading the Eagles to the 2013 National Championship and the 2014 National Runner-up finish. He is a two-time first team NAIA and ITA All-American and has been the No. 1 ranked Singles player in the NAIA for the past two seasons. Zmak has a 3.43 GPA in Software Engineering and is a member of the Mobile Application Development Club. Zmak has volunteered at the Palmetto House, Ace for Autism and the Daytona 500.