In the 17-year history of the department of athletics’ honors program, over 1,000 student-athletes have been honored for their impressive academic performances.  Since joining the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), TCNJ teams have earned 36 national championships, 28 NCAA runner-up titles, including 30 national championships in women’s athletics. The athletic program has also produced six NCAA post-graduate scholarship recipients, more than 850 All-Americans and 41 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.

This year’s recipients of the Dr. Harold W. Eickhoff Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards were senior men’s soccer player Joe Schneck and senior women's lacrosse player Katie Wagenblast. The senior scholar-athlete award was renamed in 2001 for former TCNJ President, Dr. Harold W. Eickhoff. The award has since been known as the Dr. Harold W. Eickhoff Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete Award. In addition to the student-athletes who were recognized at the luncheon, TCNJ presented the annual Alumni Citation to 1986 graduate Louis Perez.

Schneck earned a selection to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) – Adidas Metro Regional All-America Honorable Mention Team this past fall as a member of the men’s soccer team. He was also a 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-District II College Division Second Team honoree. The team co-captain, he is majoring in Journalism at TCNJ with a 3.8 GPA. He finished the 2003 season as the Lions’ co-scoring leader with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Over the course of his TCNJ career, he collected 49 points in 74 games played on 17 goals and 15 assists. Five of the goals were game-winners for the Lions, including two this year as the Lions finished the season with a 5-11-2 overall record.  He was also a candidate for the 2003 NSCAA Adidas Scholar-Athlete Team. A Dean’s List Student at TCNJ, he is now a four-time TCNJ Scholar-Athlete.

Wagenblast earned a selection as the 2003 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III National Midfielder of the Year. Last year, she also earned IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-America First Team, IWLCA Metro All-Region First Team and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Star First Team selections. Wagenblast was also a 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-District II College Division At-Large Second Team honoree. The 2004 Division III Preseason Player of the Year as picked by Lacrosse magazine, she is majoring in Elementary Education and Psychology at TCNJ with a 3.879 GPA.  Wagenblast is currently tied for first with 33 points, while being second with 22 goals.  She owns a team-best 11 assists as the Lions are 7-0 on the year and ranked second in Division III. Thus far on her TCNJ career, Wagenblast has collected 127 points in 52 games played on 81 goals and 46 assists. She is ranked 11^th all-time in assists and 25^th in goals. A Dean’s List student at TCNJ, Wagenblast is now a four-time TCNJ Scholar-Athlete.

Perez was a baseball player at TCNJ and a member of the 1986 squad which at the time, established new bench marks for success for the program. As a senior pitcher in 1986, Perez was elected team captain and helped the Lions earn national recognition. During the season they were ranked as high as third in the NCAA Division III polls and finished the year with a 35-9 campaign.  That team set school records for most wins (35), highest team batting average (.353) and lowest team ERA (3.88). The team came one win shy of earning a spot at the College World Series after falling to Methodist College in the regional championship game, 10-6.

For his part, Perez led the Lion pitchers with 17 appearances and finished with a 5-0 record with a 3.13 ERA, while fanning 16. He added one save and pitched in 31.2 innings as a senior, compiled a 9-1 mark with four saves over his last two years with the team and was a CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee.

Since graduation, Perez has distinguished himself professionally. He recently created and assumed the role of Managing Director of Modell Ventures, LLC. Modell Ventures is an entity which administers all wealth management aspects for all of Arthur Modell’s and his family’s holdings. Among other things, this includes estate planning, tax planning and investing of the wealth both passively and actively.

Prior to this new professional endeavor, Perez was Vice President – Chief Financial Officer of the Baltimore Ravens since 1998. In that role his duties included overseeing all administrative and certain operational functions of the club, including all financial and computer operations.

He brought to the Ravens sports-related financial expertise gained while serving as Controller for the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers from 1997 to 1998 and as Controller for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1992-1997.

From 1986 through 1992, Perez was a member of the international accounting firm of KPMG, becoming a Certified Public Accountant in 1988. Perez graduated from TCNJ in 1986 with a bachelor of science degree.  Born in Cuba, Perez moved to the United States at the age of four and attended Carteret High School in Carteret, New Jersey, where he played baseball and basketball.

Perez and his wife, Joanne, also a TCNJ graduate, reside in Owings Mills, Maryland with their three daughters: Kelly (9), Allison (7) and Christie (3).