SALISBURY, Md. –
Jordan Oates of the Salisbury University men's basketball team and
Natalie Held of the SU women's lacrosse team were named the university's 2023-24 Scholar-Athletes of the Year, announced by the SU athletic department on Saturday afternoon.
Oates, a senior forward from Hanover, Md., boasts a 3.66 GPA in his studies as a Biomedical Sciences/Pre-Dentistry major with a minor in Chemistry. Oates put together his best season as a Sea Gull in 2023-24, finishing fourth in Division III in total rebounds (338) and fifth nationally in rebounds per game (12.5) while finishing second in the conference in scoring (16.4).
His efforts on the court earned Oates a D3Hoops.com All-Region 5 selection as well as All-Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) and All-ECAC First Team honors. Oates was also recognized for his work in the classroom, being named the C2C Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season and landing on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team following the season.
Held, a junior defender from Ellicott City, Md., totes a 3.90 GPA in her studies as an Exercise Science major. Held has headlined Salisbury's C2C-leading scoring defense (8.19) this season, leading the team in draw controls (59), ground balls (43), and caused turnovers (29) while ranking third in the C2C in caused turnovers per game (1.81).
Held earned a place on the 2022-23 All-C2C Academic Team while earning All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and USA Lacrosse Magazine a season ago. She was also named a 2024 Preseason All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Oates and Held received their awards before Saturday's women's lacrosse contest, presented by their respective head coaches,
Maurice Williams and
Jim Nestor, as well as SU Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation
Monica Polizzi.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
