Somerset, NJ- Wagner College junior Jessica Hart (Montreal, Canada/Northwest) is the inaugural Northeast Conference Winter Scholar-Athlete for her performance in women's swimming. 

To be a recipient of the All Scholar-Athlete award, winners must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours, maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team. 

Hart garnered the Outstanding Swimmer award at the 2009 NEC Championships in February after setting a pair of conference records in the preliminaries of the 100 butterfly (54.07) and 200 butterfly (2:00.46). Her time in the 100 butterfly enabled her to become the first swimmer in Wagner history to meet the NCAA “B” standard in an event. The butterfly specialist went on to deliver dominating performances in the finals of both events, winning the 100 butterfly by over four seconds in 54.23 and the 200 butterfly in excess of seven seconds after clocking in at 2:00.48. In addition, the junior finished second in the 50 freestyle and was a member of Wagner's first place 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. 

A first team all-NEC performer in both butterfly events and a second team honoree in the 50 freestyle, Hart went on to win the 100 butterfly and finish second in the 200 butterfly at the ECAC Championships. Entering her senior year, the Montreal product currently holds school records in the 50 free, 100 fly and 200 fly. Hart is a Business Administration major with a 3.78 grade point average. 

"Jessica holds herself to a very high standard both in and out of the water,” said head coach Mark Sowa. “I think she is very excited to help lead this team next year and her examples in the classroom and the pool are what we want our team to be about."