DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley College senior Rachelle Salem has been selected as the 2012 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the sport of women's indoor track & field.

Salem is the fifth Delaware Valley student-athlete in the last four years to receive the conference's most prestigious award that involves both academics and athletics. Ralph Stambaugh was the 2008 football recipient while Bethany Pavlik was selected in 2009 for field hockey. Last season, the Aggies had two honorees in Kellen Jarrett (baseball) and Katy Provenzale (field hockey).

Salem placed sixth and earned second-team all-MAC honors in the shot put at the conference indoor championships last month. She was also a first-team honoree at the 2011 outdoor championships as she finished in third place and set a school record in the hammer throw. Salem was a team captain for the indoor season and will hold the same title for the upcoming 2012 outdoor campaign.

Academically, Salem is a biology major who currently holds a 3.95 cumulative grade point average. She has been named to five conference all-academic teams – three in the winter and two in the spring – and will earn a spot on a sixth after this year's spring season.

The MAC comprises of the 16 colleges and universities that make up the Middle Atlantic Conference, Freedom Conference and Commonwealth Conference.  The MAC Awards Committee bases selection in the 22 sports the conference sponsors on academic record (50%) and athletic prowess (50%). The student-athlete must be a senior with a minimum grade point average of 3.2. 

Salem and other honorees will be recognized at a MAC awards luncheon in May.