Toms River, NJ - Former Ocean County College student-athletes Pascal El-Khouri and Kyle Lauria have been honored for their outstanding athletic and academic achievements by the National Junior Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ).

Pascal El-Khouri has received the NJCAA's 2018-19 John Stauff Female Scholar Athlete Award. Awarded annually, this award is given to one female student athlete of the two-year colleges that comprise Region XIX. Criterion include having no less than a 3.5 grade point average through 36 earned credits, as well as significant athletic achievements and college campus contributions. Pascal, who served as Treasurer of NJ Stars, as well as Vice President of Fundraising for Phi Theta Kappa, earned both 1st Team All-Region XIX and 1st Team All-Garden State Athletic Conference honors in her sophomore season as captain of OCC’s Women’s Volleyball team, and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. Pascal currently attends Rutgers University, where she is pursuing a degree in Engineering.

Kyle Lauria has been named 2018-19 Student Athlete of the Year (Male) by the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ). Lauria, the former third baseman and captain of the Ocean County College Vikings baseball team, was a two-time NJCAA D-III All-American, and was also crowned the 2018-19 Spalding Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, Kyle was named to the NJCAA All-Academic Team in both his freshman and sophomore years, and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average. Kyle currently attends SUNY Oswego, majoring in Wellness Management, with a minor in Nutrition.

Congratulations to both of these fantastic student-athletes!

For more information about the John Stauff Scholar Athlete Award, please visit the official NJCAA Region XIX site.   

For more information regarding the CAANJ, please visit the organization’s Facebook page.