On the court, in the classroom seniors score big
by Staci I. Shipp
For graduating seniors Michelle Palmisano and Angela Gorsica, success comes
in numbers. Considered the leading force of the Commodore women's team,
the two have made their mark at Vanderbilt breaking records in basketball
and setting high standards academically.
Like their performances on the court, Palmisano and Gorsica make their
performances in the classroom seem effortless. Both electrical engineering
majors, the two boast near-perfect GPA scores: Palmisano, 3.99; Gorsica,
3.90, and are expected to graduate summa cum laude.
Each holds an impressive list of athletic and academic honors including
being named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Successfully juggling a hectic schedule of games and practices, as well
as full academic loads, is a matter of time management, discipline and focus,
says Gorsica. "It's a lot of staying on top of the work and knowing
what needs to get done," she says.
Palmisano who agrees, seizes the challenge as "an opportunity to learn
about what it takes to succeed. I've been able to take advantage of all
the help around me. If you set your mind to it, you can do it. I believe
you have to enjoy what you do and if you enjoy it then you have no problem."
Palmisano, the Commodore's leading scorer this season, has been named to
the GTE Academic All-America first team, and is the recipient of an NCAA
$5,000 postgraduate scholarship and the 1996 Boyd McWhorter Award, which
is presented annually to the Southeastern Conference's top female scholar-athlete.
Photo by Billy Kingsley
She led the conference in 3-point shooting and set a school record with
83 3-pointers during the 1996-97 season. Her 179 career 3-point baskets
are the second most in school history and her average of 59.7 3-pointers
per season is the best in program history. As a senior she led the team
in scoring with an average of 12.2 points per game and earned second-team
all-conference honors.
Gorsica, who was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the post-season
awards banquet, caps her athletic dedication at Vanderbilt with a career-high
118 blocked shots and a selection to the GTE District IV Academic All-America
team. She has been recognized as the SEC leader in blocked shots. Gorsica
shares the school record of 10 blocked shots in a game. As a senior, she
set career-highs in rebounds, assists and steals in a game. Gorsica ranks
second in school history with 368 blocks and owns three of the top six single-season
blocked shots totals.
Although their "full-time" athletic involvement at Vanderbilt
has been demanding, they say it has only complemented their academic careers.
"It's taught me about being dedicated to something, not making excuses,
giving me that drive and competitive nature to always do my best,"
says Gorsica.
Following graduation, the Commodore teammates hope to launch professional
careers in the Women's National Basketball Association. They were two of
55 aspiring professional players recently invited to try out for the WNBA
in Orlando, Fla.
But if a career in the WNBA is not intended for the immediate future, Gorsica
looks forward to the job she accepted with Motorola Communications &
Electronics Inc. in Chicago. Because Motorola is aware of her hope to play
professionally, the company is reserving her position until she is ready
to work there.
Palmisano, who is also majoring in biomedical engineering, will continue
to actively pursue her goal to compete at the highest level in athletics.
She has plans, however, to attend graduate or medical school in the near
future.
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This document created May 22, 1997
HTML Translation by Billy Kingsley