Celebrating Excellence
April 22, 2008 | General News
If you've watched an NCAA championship event in person or on television recently, you know the following words by heart: 'There are 380,000 NCAA student-athletes and most of us will go pro in something other than sports.'
The NCAA's ubiquitous ad campaign is a constant reminder that only a select few of our nation's student-athletes will earn a living playing sports. The remainder will join the rest of us as teachers, doctors, police, scientists, coaches, business people, lawyers and so on.
Not that there is anything wrong with a career as a professional athlete. The Michael Finleys, Ron Daynes, Chris Chelioses and Jolene Andersons of the UW athletics world thrilled us as Badgers and have (or will) thrilled us as pros. But they're rare. I suppose that's what makes them special.
No less special, however, are the Maggie Galloways, Annie D'Amatos, Nathan Browns, Ryan Jefferys or Erin Jobes. They're just a few of the Wisconsin student-athletes who will be recognized this evening at the Student-Athlete Academic Excellence Banquet, which will be held at the Kohl Center. (You can watch the live stream right here at UWBADGERS.com starting at 7:15 p.m. CDT)
The site of hundreds of spine-tingling Badger basketball and hockey victories won 't look like its usual sold-out self tonight. No one chanting 'sieve, sieve, sieve!' No one harassing an opposing free throw shooter. No, this evening the Kohl Center will host about 325 UW students (who also happen to play sports), family members, faculty and staff to celebrate academic excellence.
'It's one of the few times during the year when we celebrate the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes, apart from what they've done on the field of play,' UW Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services Doug Tiedt said.
Those being honored tonight include student-athletes with 3.5 grade-point averages, leadership honorees, community service achievers and many others. The keynote speaker is Judy Sweet, a 1969 UW-Madison alum who was the first woman to serve as president of the NCAA.
Who knows' Maybe there will be a future NCAA president among tonight's honorees. Or a future United States president. Or the one who finds a cure for cancer. Pipe dreams' Maybe. But consider the meeting I had last week.
I got an e-mail out of the blue from a female freshman student-athlete here at the UW. She was curious about a food drive I had helped some of the Badger football players with a few years ago. She came to my office and proceeded to lay out her vision for a massive food drive that she hoped would involve not only the entire athletic department, but campus as well. I'm certain she'll be among those recognized at a future Student-Athlete Academic Excellence Banquet.
College athletics has its critics, but you don't have to look very far in our athletic department to find example after example of the good that can come from giving a young person a chance to make a difference in the world.
2008 STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE BANQUET HONOREES
Community All-American Nominees
Luke Swan, Football
Jeff Kaiser, Men's Golf
Maggie Galloway, Women's Crew
Heather Herrick, Women's Golf
Erin Jobe, Women's Tennis
Megan Mills, Volleyball
Michael Flowers, Men's Basketball
Lane Benes, Women's Crew
Kayla Hagen, Women's Hockey
Janese Banks, Women's Basketball
Peter Dykstra, Men's Track
Amy Lewis, Women's Track
Valyncia Raphael, Softball
Katy Meuer, Women's Soccer
Peter Marrack, Men's Tennis
Davis Drewiske, Men's Hockey
2006-07 Athletic Board Scholars
Basketball
Kevin Gullikson
Caitlin Gibson
Cross Country
Timothy Pierie
Sarah Hurley
Football
Matthew Brown
Golf
Garrett Jones
Jeana Dahl
Hockey
Ryan Jeffery
Sara Bauer
Men's Rowing
Sam Austin
Women's Lightweight Rowing
Kathleen Holoyda
Women's Openweight Rowing
Kirsten Kuhn
Soccer
Chris Ede
Sandra Jorgenson
Swimming and Diving
Thomas Molzahn
Andrea Wiesner
Softball
Theresa Boruta
Tennis
Nolan Polley
Erin Jobe
Track and Field
Nathan Brown
Lindsey Heinzmann
Volleyball
Katie Jo Lorenzen
Wrestling
Drew Hammen
3.5 Winners
Men's Basketball
Tanner Bronson
Morris Cain
Brian Butch
Kevin Gullikson
Brett Valentyn
Men's Crew
Kevin Kauth
Ariel Markham-Metzger
Peter Helfer
Darren Gary
Thomas Velarde
Hans Hebl
Anthony Hoell
Brian Boston
Andrew Kaufman
Louis Bien
Matthew Donaghue
Collin Payne
Edward Newman
Kenneth Rueden
Adam Barhamand
Daniel Stevens
Samual Austin
Men's Cross Country
Ryan Gasper
Timothy Nelson
Noah Shannon
John Bolas
Timothy Pierie
Football
Daniel Kaye
Marcus Coleman
Joseph Sibley
Paul Standring
Paul Hubbard
Kenneth Debauche
Andrew Weininger
Sean Lewis
Chris Pressley
Luke Swan
Benjamin Strickland
Michael Evridge
Nathan Emanuel
Tyler Holland
Kirk DeCremer
Scott Tolzien
Benjamin Landgraf
Andrew Woodward
Matthew Fischer
Christopher Eernisse
Joseph Walker
Men's Golf
Nicholas Engen
Men's Hockey
Jacob Dowell
Ryan Jeffery
Men's Soccer
Zachary Lambo
Andrew Cardona
Nicholas Caronna
Andrew Miller
Victor Diaz
Alexander Horwath
Elliot Wilson
Frank Iaizzo
Matthew Jelacic
Reid Johnson
Hamid Afsari
Men's Swimming
Nicholas Bennett
Thomas Molzahn
Men's Tennis
Nolan Polley
Men's Track
Adam Pischke
Patrick Nichols
Rory Linder
Jeffery Treslley
Eric Hatchell
Barry Gill
Jacob Fritz
Luke Rucks
Joseph Detmer
Nathaniel Brown
Robert Lockhart
Wrestling
Dan Clum
Michael Felling
Zachary Menne
Michael Metzger
Drew Hammen
Tyler Turner
Women's Basketball
Brittany Heins
Kjersten Bakke
Women's Crew
Sarah Littleton
Juile Disch
Julie Leonard
Anna Clauson
Sarah Wrenshall
Rachael Schupp-Star
Robyn Laatsch
Sarah Bootsma
Kristin Hedstrom
Katherine Guerra
Lindsay Senay
Hannah Wente
Nichole Trumper
Anastasia Siejka
Denise Kragness
Jessica Bartelt
Julie Nielsen
Anna Linskens
Andrea D'Amato
Jamie Genthe
Lynsey Esser
Alexandra Cox
Elise Ganser
Kassandra Grimm
Caitlinrose Fisher
Katie Helmrick
Margaret Galloway
Georgia Curry
Grace Latz
Kelley Kowitz
Jennifer Lhost
Stephanie Koepp
Phoebe Kasdin
Gabrielle Waclawik
Dana Williamson
Lauren Schlossberg
Kirsten Kuhn
Sarah Hemmerich
Cecily Shiel
Elizabeth Carroll
Alicia Williams
Katherine Johnson
Lane Benes
Jessica Warmington
Laura Muskatevc
Ahna Olson
Claire Geiger
Anne Gottwald
Kristin Johnson
Kathleen Holoyda
Brittany Alioto
Katie Hurtis
Kaela Erickson
Kari Harmon
Susan Masterson
Emily Sitek
Katherine Karls
Women's Cross Country
Havahla Haynes
Emily Brody
Krystle Wasmundt
Ann Detmer
Maggie Hippman
Amanda Ganser
Desiree Toldt
Katrina Rundhaug
Erica Schoeller
Lindsey Kong
Karen Greuel
Anne Otwell
Melissa Manke
Sarah Hurley
Emily Post
Sara McKinley
Cassie Hintz
Josey Bellin
Women's Golf
Jill Ries
Ann Marie Sztukowski
Jeana Dahl
Beth Weinstein
Women's Hockey
Alycia Matthews
Mikka Nordby
Christine Dufour
Emily Morris
Angela Keseley
Heidi Kletzien
Maria Evans
Vicki Davis
Sharon Cole
Meghan Horras
Phoebe Monteleone
Sara Bauer
Softball
Eden Brock
Kaitlin Reiss
Leah Vanevenhoven
Lynn Anderson
Josephine Daniels
Theresa Boruta
Women's Soccer
Lauren Rudzinski
Taylor Walsh
Stacy Omundson
Shannon Terry
Sheri Ferron
Marissa Sarkesian
Elise Weber
Katy Meuer
Jennifer Gaynor
Elizabeth Ahlgrimm
Megan Strohm
Ann Eshun
Sandra Jorgenson
Natalie Horner
Kara Kabellis
Women's Swimming
Kristine Brager
Katie Imhoff-Smith
Elizabeth Klanderman
Jennifer Gelden
Gwen Jorgensen
Elizabeth Brooks
Amanda Witte
Susan Johnson
Andrea Wiesner
Women's Tennis
Natalie Beck
Elizabeth Carpenter
Chelsea Nusslock
Erin Jobe
Caitlin Burke
Women's Track
Heidi Lane
Sally Merckx
Carrie Woltman
Blair Luethmers
Nicole Slaby
Carly Ducharme
Jenny Soceka
Chavon Robinson
Caitlin Dodge
Amy Lewis
Lindsey Biel
Megan Seidl
Julia Benson
Michelle Bellford
Kaitlyn Marsolek
Chanell Charapata
Volleyball
Jaclyn Simpson
Jocelyn Wack
Megan Mills
Katie Lorenzen
Shelia Shaw
Middle School Awards
Makailah Dyer, Black Hawk Middle School
Langston Elvord, Black Hawk Middle School
Grace Park, O'Keeffe Middle School
Nathaniel Trainor Sample, O'Keeffe Middle School
Clarice Gloede, Sennett Middle School
Dakoda Brahmer, Sennett Middle School
Weston Wedeward, Whitehorse Middle School
Kelly Guevara, Whitehorse Middle School
Patrick Franken, Jefferson Middle School
Hannah Lucas, Jefferson Middle School
Mikayla Johnson, Spring Harbor Middle School
Bill Kluender, Spring Harbor Middle School
Keenan Alley, Toki Middle School
Rachel Dejongh, Toki Middle School
Corean Donaldson, Wright Middle School
Henry Garcia, Wright Middle School
Kestrel Kloppenburg, Hamilton Middle School
Abby O'Brien, Hamilton Middle School
2006-07 Remington Award Winners
Nathan Brown, Men's Track
Kathleen Holoyda, Women's Rowing
4.0 GPA's
Kaela Erickson - Women's Rowing
Josey Bellin - Women's Cross Country
Phi Beta Kappa
Claire Geiger- Women's Rowing
Sarah Hurley- Women's Cross Country
Performance Awards
Danielle Ward, Women's Basketball
Ivana Mijalcevic, Women's Basketball
Racheel Schupp-Star, Women's Rowing
Stacey Nelson, Women's Rowing
Jeanna Dahl, Women's Golf
Felipe Bellido, Men's Tennis
Ben Street, Men's Hockey
Matt Ford, Men's Hockey
Ann Szutkowski, Women's Golf
Faye McCormick, Volleyball
Taylor Reineke, Volleyball
Chi Alpha Sigma
Lane Benes, Women's Rowing
Elizabeth Brooks, Women's Swimming
Jeana Dahl, Women's Golf
Caitlin Dodge, Women's Track and Field
Nicholas Engen, Men's Golf
Maggie Galloway, Women's Rowing
Kevin Gullikson, Men's Basketball
Drew Hammon, Wrestling
Eric Hatchell, Men's Track and Field
Katie Helmrick, Women's Rowing
Maggie Hippman, Women's Cross Country
Sarah Hurley, Women's Cross Country
Sarah Ingison, Women's Basketball
Erin Jobe, Women's Tennis
Jennifer Lhost, Women's Rowing
Melissa Manke, Women's Cross Country
Susan Masterson, Women's Rowing
Edward Newman, Men's Rowing
Megan Seidl, Women's Track and Field
Cecily Shiel, Women's Rowing
Student-Athlete of the Month
October- Luke Swan, Football
November- Britney Dolgner, Volleyball
December- Mikka Nordby, Women's Hockey
January- Ryan Gasper, Men's Cross Country
February- Emily Post, Women's Cross Country
April- Ann Detmer, Women's Track and Field
