INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee has chosen six finalists for the annual Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

The 2007 finalists are Stephen Hrinda, cross country, track and field, Case Western Reserve University; Patrick Huffer, soccer, Williams College; Jessica Javalet, field hockey, University of Louisville; Katie Kingsbury, tennis, Washington and Lee University; Christina Mulka, rowing, Northeastern University; and Dane Todd, football, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Following are biographies on this year’s finalists.

Hrinda

A three-time captain of the cross country team at Case Western, Hrinda earned first team all-University Athletic Association honors and was chosen as a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-American in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. A member of the NCAA Division III national championship team (2003) and individual cross country qualifier (2005), he also captured the 10,000-meter title in outdoor track during the 2006 UAA championships. Hrinda volunteered with the National Youth Sports Program and has served as a United States Soccer Federation referee, officiating youth soccer tournaments since 2002.

Huffer

A co-captain of the Williams soccer team as a senior, Huffer was selected as the New England Small College Athletic Conference player of the year. The two-time first team all-NESCAC performer also earned recognition as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas NCAA Division III first-team all-American. A Phi Beta Kappa, Huffer is a four-time dean’s list honoree and was chosen as the 2006-07 NSCAA National Scholar All-America Player of the Year. In addition to tutoring and serving as a biology lab research assistant, Huffer, who plays the classical guitar, studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador, where he also participated on two soccer teams.

Javalet

The vice captain of the 2006 Big East Conference regular-season co-champion field hockey team, Javalet was named the league’s 2006 offensive player of the year after sharing the award the previous season. The 2005 Honda Award winner for field hockey, Javalet is a member of the U.S. Field Hockey Senior National Team and owns school career records for goals (69), assists (38) and points (176). A three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad pick, she also was chosen as a 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-American. In addition to working as program director for the campus radio station from 2004-06, Javalet coached high school girls lacrosse and worked with teenagers suffering from Down’s syndrome in a Saturday basketball league.

Kingsbury

A three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete and the 2006 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Kingsbury established a school record for wins in a season by a freshman with 26. The Phi Beta Kappa member and dean’s list honoree worked as an intern with the Rockbridge (Virginia) Area Department of Social Services Child Protective Services Division. In addition to mentoring student-athletes and middle-school students, Kingsbury participated in the Washington and Lee Shepherd Poverty Program, which includes interdisciplinary academic courses on the causes, effects and remedies of poverty. She also served as leadership coordinator for the Washington and Lee Generals Christian Fellowship.

Mulka

Mulka was co-captain of the North­eastern rowing squad as a senior and was chosen as the National Scholar Athlete by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. A dean’s list honoree and honors program participant, she completed internships with the United States Department of Transportation and the office of Sen. Richard J. Durbin. Mulka was campus organizer for Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. House of Representatives candidate from Illinois, and also served as a kitchen worker with the Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter for homeless and poor women and children in Boston.

Todd

A first team all-Big 12 Conference selection and four-year letter-winner in football at Nebraska, Todd also was named as a CoSIDA first team Academic All-American. Winner of the Brook Berringer Scholarship and a Wuerffel Award finalist, Todd has been recognized on the dean’s list and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll since 2002. A genetics and anatomy teaching assistant and member of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Todd served as a youth ice hockey coach and visited local hospitals. He also was a frequent speaker for youth and community groups, schools, teams and other events.

The Walter Byers Scholarships were established in 1988 and recognize the contributions of former NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. The awards encourage academic achievement of student-athletes. Each Byers Scholar receives a $21,500 scholarship.

Recipients of the award must have a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale), demonstrate evidence of superior character and leadership and show that participation in athletics has been a positive influence on their personal and intellectual development.

Two finalists, a male and a female, will be selected later this month as recipients of the 2007 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.