Five Hurricanes Tapped into ODK
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Five University of Miami student-athletes have been tapped into the elite Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) National Leadership Society.
Rower/volleyball player Alyssa Basdavanos, football player Braxton Berrios, golfer Daniela Darquea and two soccer players, Gracie Lachowecki and Shannon McCarthy, all earned the prestigious distinction. Berrios was also tabbed for the Mortar Board National College Honor Society.
“We are elated that our Hurricanes were selected in this semester’s honor classes of ODK and Mortar Board,” Miami associate athletic director of academic services David Wyman said. “They are leaders and achievers at the highest level. We celebrate their success and commitment.”
A member of Miami’s rowing team her first two years at Miami, Basdavanos represented the Hurricanes at the Head of the Hooch, Knecht Cup, San Diego Crew Classic and the ACC Championships. This year, as a junior, Basdavanos joined the volleyball team as a defensive specialist and has dished out 226 assists, including 53 in her debut, a victory over UTSA.
The Honolulu native has made the Provost’s Honor Roll (minimum 3.75 GPA) in all four of her collegiate semesters, as well as earned President’s Honor Roll (4.0) accolades three times. A neuroscience major with a 3.986 GPA, Basdavanos was named a CRCA Scholar Athlete following the 2016 rowing season.
A junior wide receiver, Berrios is currently fourth in the ACC in punt return average at 13.3 per game, a mark that ranks No. 13 in the nation. Berrios, who has two of the nine punt returns over 40 yards in the ACC this season, has registered 40 receptions for 394 yards and four touchdowns in his career.
Berrios, a native of Raleigh, N.C., sports a 3.986 GPA while majoring in finance/entrepreneurship and has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team in consecutive years. He has been on the Provost’s Honor Roll in all five of his semesters at Miami, garnering President’s Honor Roll recognition in three of them.
Darquea is a three-time All-ACC selection who was named to the 2015-16 WGCA All-America and All-Region Teams. The senior has finished in the top 10 in 15 tournaments throughout her college career, including notching seven top-10 finishes last year, while helping Miami reach the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1992.
The 2016 ACC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a three-time All-ACC Academic Team pick, Darquea has a 3.671 GPA as an exercise physiology major. A native of Quito, Ecuadro, Darquea has made the Dean’s List (min. 3.5) in five of her six semesters and twice been on the Provost’s Honor Roll.
Hailing from Evansville, Ind., Lachowecki has put together one of the finest careers in the history of the Miami soccer program, ranking third all-time in goals (24) and fourth in points (54). The senior forward is a two-time All-ACC selection and a four-time ACC Offensive Player of the Week.
Lachowecki, a 2015 All-ACC Academic Team pick, has posted a 3.628 GPA in the classroom and is one of just five Miami student-athletes majoring in nursing. She has made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (min. 3.2) in all six semesters and earned Dean’s List distinction in five of them.
McCarthy, a redshirt senior, has notched a career-best five assists this season, second-most on the team, while playing all 1,756 minutes in the Hurricanes’ 19 matches. The Brighton, Mich., native is in her third year as a co-captain and has started 59 of the 72 matches she has appeared in as a Hurricane.
After graduating from UM in December 2015 with a 3.591 GPA and a degree in public relations and sport administration, McCarthy enrolled in Miami’s sport administration graduate program. As an undergrad, McCarthy was on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester and twice made the Provost’s Honor Roll.
Additional information on the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society can be found on its official website HERE.
To keep up with University of Miami athletics on social media, follow @MiamiHurricanes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
