INDIANAPOLIS---Katie Kingsbury of Washington & Lee University and Dane Todd of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, are the recipients of the 2007 NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships, the NCAA’s highest academic award.

Kingsbury and Todd were selected from a group of six finalists (three men, three women) and will receive a $21,500 scholarship from the NCAA. The winners will have the option of renewing the scholarship for a second year based on their academic standing.

As a member of the Washington & Lee tennis team, Kingsbury was selected the 2006 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She is also a three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honoree. Kingsbury was twice named to the Old Dominion All-Conference and All-Tournament teams. She also set a single-season school record for wins by a freshman with 26 victories in 2004.

The dean’s list honoree is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and earned the Department of Psychology’s Third-Year Award given by the faculty. Kingsbury has maintained a 3.99 grade-point average.

When she’s not hitting a tennis ball or studying for a test, Kingsbury is busy donating her time to the community in various roles. She has been involved with the Washington & Lee Poverty Program since 2005 battling social issues. She was an intern with the Rockbridge Area Department of Social Sciences in the Child Protective Services Department and served as a mentor and tutor to middle-school and elementary students. In addition, she was a leadership coordinator for the Washington & Lee Generals Christian Fellowship.

Kingsbury is scheduled to graduate in June with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and will attend graduate school to seek a doctorate in the field.

As the University of Nebraska’s fullback, Todd earned first team all-Big 12 honors and was named to two CoSIDA Academic all-American teams. In his final game, he served as an honorary captain for the Huskers’ Cotton Bowl game against Auburn. Todd was also a finalist for the Wuerffel Award combining athletics, academics and community service.

In the classroom, Todd accumulated a 4.0 grade-point average during his undergraduate studies, earning a degree in biology last May. He was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll every year and selected to the conference’s academic first team. He is a member of Alpha Tau Omega, and was a member of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

For the past year, Todd has been an anatomy and genetics teaching assistant. Along with helping fellow students, he has committed time to the community as a speaker for several youth activities. He has also made several visits to patients at local rehabilitation hospitals. Todd plans on spending even more time in hospitals as he will attend the University of Nebraska Medical Center to begin working toward a medical degree.

The Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Program was established in 1988 to encourage excellence in academic performance by student-athletes and is named in honor of Walter Byers, a former NCAA executive director. A Byers Scholar combines the best elements of academic and athletic achievement earning national distinction for his or her accomplishments, and who promises to be a future leader in his or her chosen field.

Award recipients are required to have at least a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale), show evidence of superior character and leadership and demonstrate that participation in athletics has been a positive influence on personal and intellectual development, among other notable qualifications.

Last year’s Byers Scholars were Anne Bersagel, a runner from Wake Forest University, and Bryan Christopher Norrington, a track and field participant from Colorado College.

The NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Committee is chaired by Lee Meserve, faculty athletics representative at Bowling Green State University. Members of the committee are Elizabeth Wilkes, assistant athletic director for compliance at Wofford College; Anne Woodrick, faculty athletics representative at the University of Northern Iowa; Eugene Hermitte, faculty athletics representative at Johnson C. Smith University; and Jack Ohle, president of Wartburg College.

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