NEW YORK – St. John’s women’s soccer’s Emily Cubbage and Xavier men’s tennis’ Zachary Mueck have been chosen as the winners of the 2015-16 BIG EAST Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award, as selected by the BIG EAST Conference Academic Affairs Committee.
The awards are given to one male and one female student-athlete from a BIG EAST-sponsored sport who have been admitted to a degree-granting or professional program for the following year and who have demonstrated leadership through excellence in academic credentials, athletic performance and depth of commitment to service within the institution or the community.
Cubbage and Mueck will each receive a $5,000 scholarship, which may be applied to postgraduate study. The award is named for Michael Tranghese, the BIG EAST’s first full-time employee who served as commissioner of the conference from 1990 to 2009 and embodied leadership and dedication from the league's inception.
Mueck, a two-year team captain, finished with a 51-24 overall record in singles competition. He was a member of the All-BIG EAST team in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. Mueck was the 2015 Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year and was a part of the Xavier men’s tennis team that finished as a semifinalist in the BIG EAST Championships in both 2015 and 2016, both times falling to the eventual champion.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was also a two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member. He graduated in the spring with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics with a cumulative grade point average of 3.41. Mueck was on the Dean’s List twice and part of the Xavier University Athletic Director’s Award in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He also earned the 2015-16 Xavier University Achieving Senior Award. Additionally, Mueck was a 2013 and 2014 ITA All-Academic Team honoree. Mueck will continue his education at University of Cincinnati College of Law.
The tennis standout was an active member of the Xavier community, volunteering hours with the Buddy Up Program, DAV 5K, a race to honor and raise awareness for disabled veterans, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Athletes in Action and Team IMPACT – supporting children with life-threatening conditions.
A four-year standout for the St. John’s women’s soccer squad, Cubbage played and started in every game of her career with the Red Storm, with her 78 appearances and starts being program records. As a senior in 2015, Cubbage tied career highs for goals (3), assists (2), and points (8), and played a pivotal leadership role as St. John’s claimed its first BIG EAST regular-season title while setting program standards for wins (15) and shutouts (12) en route to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years.
Cubbage graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology, boasting a 3.90 grade point average. She garnered BIG EAST All-Academic Team honors each year, earning a 3.70-or greater GPA in seven consecutive semesters. Cubbage is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Eta Honor Society and Epsilon Delta Honor Society. The Dean’s List member graduated Summa Cum Laude and will pursue a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology at St. John’s.
Cubbage was an active member of the St. John’s community as well. Among her many leadership and volunteer activities, the Rio Rancho, N.M., native assisted at the Ronald McDonald House and the St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, participated in Relay For Life, the Breast Cancer/Autism Awareness Fun Run and was the BIG EAST Conference representative at the NCAA Leadership Forum in Orlando, Fla.
The Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership award is one of a number of scholarships presented by the BIG EAST Conference during the 2015-16 academic year. In addition to this award, which was introduced for the 2010-11 academic year, 20 student-athletes (one male and one female from each of the BIG EAST’s 10 member institutions) have been named as the winners of the BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships. The conference also names male and female BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award
2011
Tyler Davis, Notre Dame, Tennis
Amy Zhang, Rutgers, Tennis
2012
Benjamin Forrest, Rutgers, Cross Country/Track & Field
Allison Schroeder, Notre Dame, Cross Country/Track & Field
2013
Michael Moore, Notre Dame, Tennis
Kaci Madden, Rutgers , Softball
2014
James Roebker, Xavier, Tennis
Chloe Sher, Seton Hall, Tennis
2015
Shawn Heide, St. John’s, Baseball
Shelby Manthorpe, Seton Hall, Volleyball
2016
Zachary Mueck, Xavier, Men’s Tennis
Emily Cubbage, St. John’s, Women’s Soccer