May 4, 2011

NOTRE DAME, Ind. –

The Monogram Club awarded postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) and Erin Marrone (Alexandria, Va.) at the Notre Dame Department of Athletics’ annual O.S.C.A.R.S. Awards Banquet Wednesday night.

Each student-athlete receives a one-time, nonrenewable grant of $5,000 to attend graduate school.

Davis (tennis) and Marrone (softball) were presented with their awards by Monogram Club board member Jim Tyler ’86 (cross country, track).

Davis, the first-ever two-time captain in the history of the Notre Dame men’s tennis program, will graduate in May 2011 from the University’s College of Science with a degree in science business and plans to attend medical school in the fall at Vanderbilt University.

“It’s a great honor and medical school is an expensive ticket, so this will go a long way towards helping,” Davis said. “The Monogram Club’s been there for me way beyond the normal level of service. Our team liaison [Tom Galloway] has done a great job of connecting me to a lot of doctors around the country. I’d like to thank the Club for everything they’ve done.”

Davis owns a 3.933 grade point average and has been a Dean’s List member in all seven of his semesters at Notre Dame. A three-time member of the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team, he was the 2010 recipient of the league’s Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence award and also was Notre Dame’s institutional male recipient of the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete award this past January. In April, he was chosen as the first-ever male recipient of the American Eagle Outfitters Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award, as selected by the BIG EAST Conference Academic Affairs Committee.

A four-year starter who has been part of teams that have played in the NCAA tournament on three occasions, Davis has helped lead the Irish to a 17-11 mark this season and a No. 30 ranking in the most recent Campbell/ITA poll. He currently owns a 17-4 overall record in singles play and is 20-14 overall in doubles matches during the 2010-11 campaign. Davis and his then doubles partner, Stephen Havens, were ranked as high as No. 28 this season.

While at Notre Dame, Davis has been the recipient of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award and the Leader of Distinction Award that is presented to individuals who have been deemed exceptional leaders by their coaches and teammates. In addition, he also participated in the Rosenthal Leadership Academy.

Away from the tennis court, he serves as a research assistant within the biology department at the University. Davis also has been a member of Notre Dame’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council for three years and is an officer within that group while serving as the BIG EAST SAAC representative. He also is a hospital and nursing home volunteer and participates in a weekly “Read to a Child” program. Davis served as the chief organizer for the men’s tennis team’s participation in the Fighting Irish for Life program in 2009 that paired a local high school student with cancer to the squad for a semester. He also is a volunteer for the Lifeworks Dream Team that helps to lead interactive workshops with South Bend elementary children about reaching their dreams.

Erin Marrone

Marrone will graduate in May 2011 from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business with a degree in accounting. She plans to enroll in the University of Virginia’s accounting graduate program in the fall.

She has accumulated a 3.976 grade point average and has been a Dean’s List member in all seven of her semesters at Notre Dame. She serves as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society – a national organization for collegiate business students – and has participated in Notre Dame’s Rosenthal Leadership Academy. A three-time member of the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team, Marrone was also tabbed to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District squad as a sophomore in 2009.

“I am so appreciative of everything the Monogram Club has done for me since I came to Notre Dame,” Marrone said. “I am thankful to be graduating from this University with not only a degree from the top undergraduate business program in the country, but also the knowledge that I will forever be a part of the Notre Dame family.”

A three-year co-captain for the softball team, she has been part of teams that have played in the NCAA tournament on three occasions.

She has displayed versatility throughout her time with the Irish by playing several different positions throughout her career (catcher, first base, second base, and each of the outfield positions).

As a sophomore, the Alexandria, Va., native earned third team all-league honors before copping a spot on the NFCA all-region team. Her efforts helped propel the Irish to the BIG EAST Championship title in 2009.

In her junior season, Marrone led the BIG EAST and ranked 20th nationally with a team-high .453 batting average before her campaign ended with a knee injury. Her 2010 batting average and on-base pct. (.604) set the single-season Notre Dame records.

This season, Marrone has returned from her injury to post a .298 batting average with 11 RBI in 22 games. As a senior, she has helped lead the Irish to a 39-8 record and a No. 21 ranking in the national polls.

An active member of the Notre Dame and South Bend communities, Marrone volunteers in area schools and has served as served as a weekly reader at Tarrington Traditional School and as a mentor for middle school students at Marshall Intermediate Center. She participates as a student-athlete tutor in the Notre Dame Academic Services department and is a member of the Notre Dame Christian Athletes organization.

The Monogram Club postgraduate scholarships have been given to one male and one female student-athlete since the 2008-09 academic year. Thomas Bemenderfer (football) and Mallorie Croal (volleyball) received the first set of scholarships in 2009, while Tim Andree (basketball) and Cosmina Ciobanu (tennis) took home the honors in 2010.

–ND–