Hancock, Palmer honored as NSCA Strength and Conditioning All-Americans

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recently announced its annual All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year awards and Salisbury University had two student-athletes recognized in sophomore field hockey midfielder Kandice Hancock and junior men's basketball guard Greg Palmer. The pair is among 207 collegiate student-athletes from 116 schools around the country honored with this award. The Sea Gull pair was nominated by SU Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Matt Nein. This is the first time in the history of SU athletics that student-athletes have been distinguished with this award.

Hancock led the No. 7 SU field hockey team to a 15-4 record in the fall and was named a first-team All-American by Womensfieldhockey.com and a second-team selection by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Hancock earned many postseason honors this season as she was named the 2008 Capital Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year, All-CAC first team selection for the second straight year, an Eastern College Athletic Association (ECAC) Division III Field Hockey All-Star and an All-South Region first team member. The midfielder tallied 10 goals and added five assists for the Sea Gulls. Hancock was third in the CAC with four game-winning goals and sixth in shots (57) and shots per game (3.0). The Westover, Md., native was named CAC Player of the Week on September 15 after she tallied four goals and scored the game-winner against No. 13 Christopher Newport University. Hancock will enter her junior season with 15 goals, 16 assists and 46 points in 41 games played.

"Kandice is one of the hardest working student-athletes I have had the opportunity to train during my time here at Salisbury University," said Nein. "Day-in and day-out, she is a tireless workhorse who is determined to improve her abilities. Each workout is given the utmost focus as it is seen as one element of the big picture. Kandice sets the tone for every workout with her attitude, the approach she takes and its relationship to the game. It is easy to see that just doing the minimum is not in her mindset. She will do everything possible to raise herself and her game to higher limits. As a freshman at Salisbury University, she had a remarkable season. Her level of play garnered the award of CAC Rookie of the Year and All-CAC first team honors. With all these awards, she could have settled, but Kandice put in a tremendous effort in the weight room seeing her strength and power capabilities increase during the offseason. With this dedication and work, Kandice repeated as an All-CAC first team selection and was honored as a NFHCA All-American second team selection. It has been a great pleasure to work with Kandice and I look forward to seeing her continue on the path of excellence. With the qualities Kandice possesses, there is no doubt in my mind that all of the goals she sets will be attained."

Palmer had a solid junior campaign for the SU men's basketball team in which he played in all 26 games as the Sea Gulls finished fifth in the conference with an 11-15 record and 8-8 mark in the conference. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, 34.1 minutes per game and nearly a block per game. The junior led the team in field goals made (137) and three-pointers made (50). Palmer ranked first in the CAC in free-throw percentage as he shot an outstanding 88.9 percent (56-for-63) from the charity stripe. In addition, he ranked ninth in the conference in several categories including blocks, defensive rebounds and minutes. Palmer was recognized several times throughout the season with individual awards including the PrestoSports/Provident Pride Player of the Week (December 15) and was a two-time CAC Player of the Week selection (December 15 and January 5). His efforts garnered the Salisbury, Md., native a spot on the All-CAC second team.

"Greg is an extremely hard worker who truly feels that there is always room for improvement," said Nein. "His dedication to improving his game as a whole is unprecedented. Not only does Greg work and push hard in the weight room, but you can find him on the courts at 6 a.m. every morning working on his conditioning level, ball handling skills and jump shot. The work ethic that Greg developed and possesses has enhanced his game play on and off the court since his arrival at SU in 2006. As a freshman, Greg found very little playing time. He was a mere 6-foot-5, 175 pounds, athlete with average talent. He has now blossomed into an athlete who has grown into a 195-pound force who can virtually play any position on the floor. He has also seen his strength and power levels increased while his body fat percent has decreased. After an intense summer spent training at the University following his freshman year, Greg put up break out numbers as a sophomore. He was a starting shooting guard that could hit the three-point shot or drive hard to the basket while taking a few hits along the way. As a result of his performance, Greg was awarded a spot on the All-CAC second team. As a junior, Greg emerged as a captain and the guy everyone looked to as he led the 2008-09 squad to great heights. It is an absolute honor to work with Greg on a daily basis. To see him grow as an athlete, student and an individual is truly moving. His story is remarkable and still developing. With the qualities Greg possesses, his future, whatever it may be, is very bright."

The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year Award recognizes student-athletes' dedication to strength training and conditioning. This program is in its 30th year and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn., Fitness product leader. For more information, please visit www.nsca-lift.org.