Scranton Runner Picked As Academic All-District Performer

John Mercuri (Moscow, Pa./Scranton Preparatory), a senior on The University of Scranton men’s cross-country team, has cleared the first hurdle in his attempt to become the third three-time Academic all-American in school history.

This morning, Mercuri was named first-team District II all-Academic for college division student-athletes in the sports of men’s track and field and cross-country for the third consecutive year. The program is sponsored by ESPN The Magazine and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). All first-team district selections are eligible for Academic all-America honors, which is selected by a national committee made up by members of CoSIDA.

In order to qualify, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, be a key starter or reserve, and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2-or-higher. District II is comprised of student-athletes from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. College division is made up of student-athletes who compete on the non-Division I level.

Mercuri, a first-team Academic all-American in 2006 and second-team selection in 2005, recently graduated summa cum laude with degrees in biology and philosophy and a minor in biochemistry. The recipient of a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship, he was named the 2006 Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation scholar-athlete for men’s cross-country. He was also named the male recipient of the Father Fitzpatrick and Carlesimo awards at the university’s annual Senior Student-Athlete Banquet in May. The Fitzpatrick Award is presented annually to the senior student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to The University of Scranton community and society in general, while the Carlesimo Award honors the senior student-athlete who has shown academic and athletic excellence.

In addition to being a four-year letterman, Mercuri served as secretary/treasurer and webmaster for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), president of the university’s track and field club, lab researcher for the chemistry department, and webmaster for the Health Professions Organization. He provided housing demolition and rehabilitation in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina during a service trip to Mississippi in January and has volunteered at the North Pocono Pre-School and Day Center and Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Athletically, Mercuri earned all-NCAA Mideast regional and all-Middle Atlantic Conference honors three times. In 2005, he became only the fourth male runner in Scranton history to qualify for the NCAA Division III championships. He also posted 13 top-10 and six top-25 finishes in his career.

Mercuri is looking to join Dr. Michael Banas (3rd-team, 1982; 1st-team, 1983 and 1984), of the men’s basketball team, and Dr. Clay Yeager (3rd-team, 1994; 2nd-team, 1995; 1st-team, 1996), a standout on the men’s tennis team, as three-time Academic all-Americans from The University of Scranton.

The son of John and Cecelia Mercuri of Horseshoe Drive in Moscow, Mercuri has been accepted into the New York University and University of Pittsburgh schools of medicine, as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.