PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference released the year-end Presidents Cup standings as well as the spring All-Sportsmanship Team and All-Academic Team Thursday afternoon.

Penn State Altoona accumulated 83 points during the 2008-2009 sports year and finished third in the final Presidents Cup standings.  Penn State Behrend, which tallied 101.5 points, won its eighth cup in nine years, and Frostburg State finished just ahead of Altoona with 86 points.

The Cup is awarded annually to the school with the overall best sports program based on regular season finish or season-ending tournament or meet results, as in the case of tennis, golf, swimming and diving, and cross country.

Baseball player Paul Keith (Smithmill, PA/Moshannon Valley), softball player Chelsey Rhodes (Williamsburg, PA/Williamsburg), and men's tennis player Kyle Yerty (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) were the Penn State Altoona representatives on the spring AMCC All-Sportsmanship Team.

The student-athletes on the All-Sportsmanship Team are selected by their teammates and must consistently demonstrate a high level of ethical conduct, respect, and fair play in both practice and competition, among other things.

Keith and Olivia Hallahan (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon) were the Penn State Altoona male and female selections to the AMCC All-Academic Team.  Keith was the Lions' top pitcher and boasted a GPA of better than 3.7 while Hallahan, a basketball and volleyball player at Altoona, has made numerous appearances on the Dean's List and Academic All-Conference Team.

To view the entire AMCC Presidents Cup standings as well as the All-Sportsmanship and All-Academic Teams, visit the AMCC website at www.amcconf.org.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Penn State Altoona men's tennis player Kyle Yerty (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) was one of four Lions named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference All-Conference Team and also captured league Newcomer of the Year honors, the conference office announced Friday.

Yerty joined Scott Pickrell (Altoona, PA/Altoona), Andrew Rosborough (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra), and Justin Hess (Saxton, PA/Tussey Mountain) as AMCC All-Conference honorees.

Yerty was a first team selection at number four singles and joined Pickrell as second team selections at number two doubles.  Hess garnered first team accolades at number six singles, while Rosborough was a second team pick at number five singles.

Pickrell also collected second team recognition at number three singles.  The all-conference teams are based on finish at the AMCC Championship Tournament.

Penn State Behrend's Elliot Blackstone was the conference Player of the Year, and Behrend coach Jeff Barger was named Coach of the Year.

To view the entire AMCC Men's Tennis All-Conference Team, visit the league website at www.amcconf.org.

ALTOONA, Pa. - Baseball player Robert Reece (Levittown, PA/Neshaminy), softball player Andrea Layton (Everett, PA/Everett), and men's tennis player Kyle Yerty (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) are the Penn State Altoona Athletes of the Week for the week of April 13-19.

Reece, earning his first Athlete of the Week award, hit an impressive .583 in two doubleheaders against AMCC members La Roche and Franciscan.  He also racked up two runs in game one of the Franciscan game before logging another three runs in game two.

For the season, Reece has played and started in all 32 games and is averaging .313 with 17 total RBI.  He has also smacked nine doubles scored 23 total runs.

Layton, also earning her first nod, helped the Lions pick up two wins in their busy week.  In the first game of a La Roche doubleheader, Layton pitched a complete game for the Lions, giving up five hits and striking out two as the Lions picked up a 3-1 victory over the Rehawks.

In game two of the squad's doubleheader against Franciscan on April 18th, Layton connected on 3 for 4 hitting with two runs and two RBI.  For the season, she is batting .365 with 11 RBI and has played and started in all 27 games. 

Yerty, who has been honored with two AMCC Player of the Week awards, led the Lions to a 1-1 week, including a 9-0 sweep of Pitt-Greensburg on April 13.  Against Greensburg, Yerty picked up an 8-0 doubles win along with a 6-2, 6-0 #4 singles victory.  He enjoyed two more wins on April 14 against Frostburg, going 8-4 in doubles and pulling out a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 victory in #4 singles.

The next Penn State Altoona Athletes of the Week will be announced on Monday, April 27.

WEXFORD, Pa. - Freshman Kyle Yerty (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) won the number four singles championship and teamed with Scott Pickrell (Altoona, PA/Altoona) to capture the number two doubles crown as the Penn State Altoona men's tennis team finished runner-up at the 2009 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships Saturday and Sunday at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford.

Yerty, a two-time AMCC Player of the Week who went undefeated at number four singles during regular season play, and Pickrell joined Justin Hess (Saxton, PA/Tussey Mountain) as flight champions after Hess cruised to the number six singles crown.

Altoona and Frostburg State both finished with 16 team points, but the Lions won the tiebreaker by scoring more total points in conference team matches during the regular season.  Penn State Behrend, which boasted six flight winners, tallied 22 points to win its second straight league crown.

Pitt-Bradford and La Roche finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the five-team tournament.

Pickrell advanced to the number three singles final before falling 6-4, 6-3 to Behrend's Shane Mosier.  Freshman Andy Rosborough (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) also got to the finals in number five singles.

Penn State Altoona finished the regular season at 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the conference.  Eight of the 10 players on this year's squad were freshmen.

ALTOONA, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona men's tennis team narrowly lost its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference showdown with rival Frostburg State Tuesday afternoon by dropping five of the nine matches to the visiting Bobcats.

The Altoona combination of Kyle Yerty (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) and Scott Pickrell (Altoona, PA/Altoona) was able to win its #2 doubles match by a score of 8-4, but the other Lion duos fell to the hands of Frostburg.

In the singles portion, Pickrell won his match 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, and Yerty downed his opponent 6-4, 7-6.  Sophomore Justin Hess (Saxton, PA/Tussy Mountain) walked away with a singles victory of his own, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.

The Lions are now 8-3 overall, 5-3 AMCC, and will be back in action April 18 for the conference championships at Oxford Country Club in Wexford, PA.