LATROBE, Pa. – A pair of Penn State Altoona student-athletes were recognized for their athletic and academic success Wednesday morning, when the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference released its All-Academic Team. 

Penn State Altoona women's volleyball junior Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and men's golf junior Daniel Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) both earned spots on the AMCC's All-Academic Team. Simanski and Batrus earned the recognition after each was honored with scholar-athlete of the year awards at Penn State Altoona's 2026 Athletics Honors Ceremony in May.

Simanski, a Business major with concentrations in Management and Marketing and Business Analytics, was named to the Penn State Altoona Dean's List, AMCC Academic All-Conference team, and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. The junior outside hitter is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college student-athlete honor society.

On the court, Simanski is a team captain for women's volleyball. She was named first-team All-AMCC and to the AMCC all-tournament team in 2025, when she ranked eighth in the conference in kills per set (3.1) and points per set (3.4) and ninth in total kills (267).

Among her community service efforts, Simanski devotes countless hours to the Sheetz Fellows program, is a Dig Pink ambassador for the women's volleyball team, and is a member of SAAC.   

Batrus is a Business major and was named an AMCC Academic All-Conference Peak Performer and selected to the CSC's Academic All-District team. Additionally, he will receive All-American Scholar honors later this summer from the Golf Coaches Association of America.

On the course, Batrus made third-team All-AMCC in 2025. The junior averaged 78.92 per round during the fall semester, 78.0 in the spring, and shot 78.55 overall.

Batrus has completed numerous community service hours, both on his own and as a member of the Sheetz Fellows program.