Trio of Braves Voted MVC Soccer Scholar-Athletes

Younes Dayekh and John Pollifone both selected to the first team, Alex Ciaramitaro honorable mention

http://mvc-sports.com/news/2018/11/13/MSOC_SA_Team.aspx

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Soccer 11/14/2018 11:04:00 AM

ST. LOUIS – A trio of Bradley players are among the 17 student-athletes recognized as Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Scholar-Athletes, according to a league-wide vote of the sport's sports information directors released Wednesday by the conference office.

Sophomore midfielder Younes Dayekh (San Jose, CA/Heritage H.S.) and junior defender John Pollifrone (Fort Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger H.S.) both earned first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete notice, while senior defender Alex Ciaramitaro (St. Peters, MO/St. Louis University H.S.) received honorable mention.

A communications major with an emphasis in sports communication, Dayekh boasts a 3.82 cumulative grade point average and has earned a spot on the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of his first two semesters. The 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, Dayekh repeated as a second-team All-MVC selection in 2018 by finishing the season with two goals and four assists. He will enter his junior campaign in 2019 as Bradley's active leader with seven career assists and five game-winning goals.

Majoring in criminal justice studies, Pollifrone boasts a 3.50 cumulative grade point average. A representative of both the Bradley Braves Council student-athlete advisory board, as well as the Missouri Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Pollifrone will enter the 2019 campaign as Bradley's active leader with 56 career games played and 54 career starts. An anchor in the team's defensive alignment, Pollifrone also has scored one goal in each of his first three seasons, including the golden goal to beat Western Illinois in overtime Oct. 27.

Among his academic honors, Pollifrone received the 2018 MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and he has qualified for the MVC Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018, as well as the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of his first four semesters. On the same day The Valley announced the 2018 MVC Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete Team, Pollifrone also was featured in the weekly MVC Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, presented by Enterprise Bank and Trust Company.

Ciaramitaro saw his 2018 season cut short when he suffered an ACL tear during Bradley's 2-1 win Sept. 14 at Purdue Fort Wayne shortly after netting the tying goal against the Mastodons. A three-year starter in Bradley's back line, Ciaramitaro scored five goals from his defensive position, including three game winners. In addition to his play on the pitch, Ciaramitaro also has played for the Bradley Men's Golf Team during his time as a Bradley student-athlete, sporting a 78.00 career scoring average.

Majoring in mechanical engineering, Ciaramitaro owns a 3.21 cumulative grade point average and has qualified for the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll in three of the last four semesters.

The criteria for the all-MVC honor parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale). Also, students must have participated in at least 75 percent of the regular-season matches or played in the league tournament. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.

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