(April 6, 2004) - Carrie Hucko of Duquesne and Fordham's Mark Porcaro are the inaugural recipients of the Atlantic 10 Sporting Awards, as selected by the Conference's senior women administrators.
To be nominated for the Sporting Award, a student-athlete must be a member of an intercollegiate athletics team in a sport sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference; be in good academic standing; be active within the campus community; embody the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and sporting conduct; be enthusiastic about the sport in which they compete; and have noteworthy act(s) of sporting conduct during the specified academic year.
Hucko, who competes in cross country and track & field, is the Duquesne record holder in the indoor mile, indoor 3,000 meters, and outdoor 3,000 meters. She is also a member of the Dukes' record-setting indoor 4x800 meter relay team and the outdoor 4x1500 meter relay team. The senior from Wexford, PA is a business major and a two-time member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. She also earned cross country and indoor track Academic All-Conference laurels in 2002-03. She is a member of Duquesne's Director of Athletics Honor Roll and the Dean's List every semester at Duquesne.
Hucko exemplifies outstanding sporting conduct every time she competes. Once she crosses the finish line, she immediately turns to cheer on and support not only her teammates but her competitors, as well. She is very supportive of all of her peers and has developed excellent and supportive relationships with those she competes with and against.
Porcaro also competes in track & field. The Rams' indoor and outdoor team captain for the last two seasons, he won the 400 meter dash at the 2002 Atlantic 10 Championship and qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship. The senior from Bronx, NY is a 2003 second-team All-Conference selection and Fordham's record holder in the indoor 400
meter dash, clocking a 48.38 at the IC4A Championships in 2003. He placed fifth in the 400 meters (50.25) at this year's A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championship.
The English major is president of Fordham's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has taken the initiative on many new activities for the student-athlete body. Porcaro has spearheaded their involvement in Breakfast For Champions, Adopt-A-Sport, Student-Athlete Dance, Habitat For Humanity, and various community services.
