June 12, 2007

Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced the recipients of the 2006-07 Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards on Tuesday, with a pair of UTEP student-athletes being so honored. Melissa Abraham received the distinction for women's soccer, while Mickael Hanany brought home the men's track and field award for the second consecutive year.

The awards are presented to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport. The award is based on academic achievement (GPA), athletic achievement and service.

Abraham boasts a 4.0 GPA while majoring in kinesiology. The two-time Dean's List member and C-USA Academic Medalist completed her eligibility with the Miners this past fall.

In 2006, she started all 21 games and tallied 19 points to rank third on the team. She scored seven goals, including a pair of game winners, to help UTEP pace C-USA in goals and assists. Her first year in the Sun City, Abraham started all 25 games and was second on the squad in goals (16) and points (35). Abraham's efforts helped the Miners post their best record in school history (20-4-1) and secure the program's initial berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Abraham also gave back to the community, volunteering at the Armijo Center and the Asthma Camp.

Hanany is a biology/chemistry major who carries a 3.20 GPA. He was tabbed an Academic All-American by the USFCCCA in 2006 while being a Dean's List and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member the past two years.

He is a seven-time NCAA All American, having scored points for UTEP at six national meets since 2004. Hanany finished a career-best second place in the high jump at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

A 15-time conference champion, Hanany has also been highly involved with service programs on the UTEP campus. He has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years, while volunteering with the Adopt a Miner program for two years. Additionally, he has spoken at various local schools the past three years.