WSU leads Horizon in All-Academic Team

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WSU Insider

WSU leads Horizon in All-Academic Team members
By Marc Katz

Staff Writer

I know, I know. Give me a team that wins and players who don't end up on a police blotter and everybody's happy.
Well, there's something to be said for academics, too, and Wright State this week led the Horizon League in All-Academic Team members.

The Raiders had 12 student-athletes honored, with six from the women's swimming and diving team, three from women's indoor track and field, two from men's swimming and one from women's basketball.

Senior swimmer Katie Rippl and Stephanie Francis of the track team received the honor in each of their three eligible years, while senior swimmer Elvis Cirikovic was honored for the second straight year.

Detroit had 11 athletes honored, while Illinois-Chicago and Wisconsin-Milwaukee had 10 each.

Students must have cumulative grade-point averages of 3.25 or higher with at least three complete semesters at the same institution and must be starters or important reserve on their teams. Selections are made by faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors.

Rippl, an anthropology major, is joined by senior swimmers Amy Cron (middle childhood education) and Svetlana Nepocatych (physical education), juniors Dani DiMasso (language arts education) and Amanda Mueller (marketing) and sophomore Jessica Weidert (modern languages).

Francis, in biological sciences, is joined by track mates Jennifer Williamson (senior, business economics) and Jill Britton (junior, accountancy).

Cirikovic, studying accountancy, is joined by fellow swimmer Ryan Klasmeier, a junior in mechanical engineering.

Whitney Lewis, a sophomore basketball player, is studying psychology.

Lest you think only bad teams have good students, consider the swimming teams, which regularly win the Horizon League and this year each finished second in the league finals.

Team reports

Men's tennis: For the second time this season, Lance Koetter was named the Horizon League men's tennis player of the week. He won a singles match at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne and two doubles matches against IPFW and Butler. The doubles wins improved Kotter and teammate Nick Camilleri's record to 16-3.

Koetter won the first league player of the week honor of the season and, now, the last.

The Raiders host Wittenberg today at 4 p.m. and play in the Horizon League championships at Indianapolis' North Central High School this weekend.

Baseball: Three Raiders are among national statistical leaders. Infielder Ross Oeder's four triples (0.13 per game) rank 35th in the nation, Robert Barrett's 1.79 ERA is 33rd and Joe Smith's seven saves are 25th.

Looking ahead: With the spring semester winding down, there's still time to see some teams in action.

The baseball team hosts Youngstown State for three games — 6 p.m. Friday, then a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

The women's softball team also hosts a doubleheader Saturday, taking on Loyola beginning at 1 p.m.

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0420inside.html

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Horizon League Announces Academic All-League Teams for Winter Sports
Wright State boasts most honorees (12); Detroit next with 11, UIC and UW-Milwaukee each have ten
April 18, 2006


INDIANAPOLIS -- As one of its platforms, the Horizon League stresses the importance of academic achievement. That emphasis was evident Tuesday (April 18) with the announcement of its 2005-06 Winter Academic All-Horizon League teams.

A total of 79 student-athletes from six sports were honored in balloting by the League's faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors. Wright State University led the way with 12 selections, followed by the University of Detroit Mercy (11). The University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee each had ten student-athletes recognized, followed by Youngstown State University (nine) and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (eight). Butler University and Loyola University Chicago boasted seven honorees apiece, with Cleveland State University receiving five awards.

Three members of Butler's men's basketball team gained Academic All-League recognition, led by A.J. Graves. The sophomore guard finished 12th in the League in scoring, averaging 13.4 points per game, while his .819 free-throw percentage was fourth-best in the League. Graves owns a 3.32 grade-point-average as an exploratory major. Junior teammates Julian Betko (3.64, marketing) and Drew Streicher (3.95, chemistry) joined Graves on the honor roll after helping BU to a runner-up showing in the regular season and Horizon League Championship tournament in 2005-06. Butler finished 20-13 overall and won its initial game in the Postseason NIT.

Loyola sophomore Tom Levin (3.52, economics) and Cleveland State senior Cory Rojeck (3.40, social studies) rounded out the men's basketball honorees. Levin started 20 games for the 19-11 Ramblers, averaging just over 20 minutes per game. The 19 victories were the most for the program since the 1984-85 campaign.

In women's basketball, Butler junior guard Jackie Closser headlined the five-member Academic All-League team. Closser was a First-Team All-League choice as well as a Second-Team Academic All-District pick by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) after averaging 15.1 points per game this season and leading the League in both free-throw percentage (.867) and assists (5.21 per game). In the classroom, Closser boasts a 3.48 grade-point-average as an elementary education major.

Three other honorees each averaged double figures in scoring, with UW-Green Bay junior Amanda Popp (3.731, psychology/human development) scoring 10.7 points per outing based on a .515 field-goal percentage which was fourth-best in the League. Youngstown State senior Ashlee Russo (3.93, biology/pre-med) and Wright State sophomore Whitney Lewis (4.00, psychology) each finished at 10.3 points per outing, while the final representative---Detroit senior Caitie Goddard (3.864, business)---ranked fourth in the League as a 45.3 percent shooter from three-point range. She averaged 8.6 points per outing in 2005-06.

In men's swimming, Cleveland State's Bjorn Schantz was one of three Vikings to earn Academic All-League honors. The junior earned League Athlete of the Year recognition after winning three events and setting a pair of League records at the 2006 Horizon League Championship. Schantz supplemented his record-setting performances in the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyle events with the 1,650-yard freestyle title in pacing CSU to the League title---the school's first in any sport since 1999. In the classroom, owns a 3.88 GPA as a marketing and international business major.

Senior teammates Daniel Thomasson (3.69, international relations) and Adam Wroblewski (3.84, mechanical engineering) were other CSU representatives gaining Academic All-League notice. Thomason won the 200-yard freestyle title at the League summit.

The team also included five UIC swimmers led by junior Blake Booher (3.42, political science), who set a League standard in winning the 50-yard freestyle. Fellow Flame Bill Hare (3.64, biology) and UW-Milwaukee senior Tim Watt (3.421, civil engineering) gained academic honors for the third consecutive year, with eight other competitors---including 100-yard freestyle kingpin Elvis Cirikovic (3.442, accountancy) of Wright State---drawing repeat notice on the 17-member group.

The women's swimming team also features 17 student-athletes, led by League Swimmer of the Year Lindsay Caldwell of UW-Milwaukee. Caldwell, who owns a 3.537 GPA as a journalism/mass communications major, was one of four repeat selections after winning the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events at the League championships. The junior also posted the 79th-fastest time (:50.58) in the country with her performance at the Wheaton College Invitational in December. Senior Allison Kreb's championship efforts in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke paced UW-Green Bay to the team title and helped draw Academic All-League acclaim. Kreb's work as a human biology major features a 3.47 GPA.

Senior Amy Cron (3.539, middle childhood education) was one of six Wright State swimmers selected for the Academic All-League squad. Cron captured the 100-yard backstroke crown, with sophomore Jessica Weidert's selection following her second-place showing in the 200-yard breaststroke at the loop summit. Weidert boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA in her studies as a modern languages major. Also among the WSU contingent was senior Katie Rippl, who received her third Academic All-League citation.

In men's track, Detroit had six of the 17 honorees, with Loyola and Youngstown State each claiming four. The YSU contingent featured graduate student Jarrod Davis (3.70 undergraduate/4.00 grad, computer information systems), who set a League record in the weight throw at the 2006 Horizon League Championship. Loyola's Marcus Myrick (3.35, business) finished second in the high jump, while UW-Milwaukee senior Josh Nygren (3.930, political science) captured his third Academic All-League certificate after taking fifth place in the 3,000-meter run and fourth place in the 5,000 meters at the loop summit. He was one of six repeat selections.

The women's track team included 18 student-athletes (due to a tie in the voting), with each of the seven schools sponsoring the sport boasting at least two honorees. Five of the 18 capturing individual events at the League Championship, with Butler senior Katie Stuckey winning the 3,000-meter run and Detroit senior Andrea Karl pulling away for the one-mile title. Stuckey is a biology major with a 3.70 grade-point-average, with Karl compiling a 3.525 GPA in her elementary education major.

Loyola junior Marcia Faustin (3.47, biology) was one of six repeat selections after taking top honors in the high jump, with UW-Milwaukee sophomore Angie Huebner (3.628, architecture) crossing the line first in the 5,000 meters and Youngstown State sophomore Bethany Anderson (3.34, health) winning both the shot put and weight throw competitions. UW-Milwaukee's Katie Slamka (3.924, kinesiology) and Wright State's Stephanie Francis (3.883, biological sciences) each won a third consecutive Academic All-League citation.

The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes with Academic All-League teams in each of its 19 championship sports. To be eligible for Academic All-Horizon League consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.25 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale) and have completed at least one year at the member institution having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits.

horizonleague.cstv.com/genrel/041806aad.html

[Raider Country]

April 20, 2006 (News Release/Men's Basketball)

Burleson Named Among NABC Honor's Court
April 20, 2006


Burleson Named Among NABC Honor's Court

Drew Burleson of the Wright State University men's basketball team was recently named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to the NABC Honor's Court, recognizing those collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics. The NABC Honor's Court recognizes the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court, and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honor's Court, an athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows:

1. Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player.
2. Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2004-2005 academic year.
3. Students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
4. Member of an NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Institution.

www.wsuraiders.com/cgi-bin/athletics/news.cgi?action=features&id=2779