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NCAA Salutes Elite 88 Award Winners from Winter Championships

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Contact(s)

Cameron Schuh
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117



INDIANAPOLIS---In the inaugural year of the Elite 88 award, the NCAA has named 28 student-athletes as award winners from the winter championships season.

Founded by the NCAA, the Elite 88 award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site at each of the NCAA’s 88 championships.

All GPAs are based on a straight grading scale to ensure consistency among institutions. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and competing at the championship.


 

The 28 award winners by sport and division (I, II, III or National Collegiate), school and major of study and GPA are:

Sport (Division) Name Institution Major (GPA)
Men’s Basketball  (I) Matt Howard Butler University Finance (3.795)
Men’s Basketball (II) Joe Rocco Indiana University of Pennsylvania Biology/Pre-Medicine (3.94)
Men’s Basketball (III) Kevin Voelkel

 

Randolph-Macon College

 Business/Economics (3.63)
Women’s Basketball (I) Lindsay Palmer Baylor University Psychology (3.952)
Women’s Basketball (II) Sarah Stream Michigan Technological University Exercise Science (4.0)
Women’s Basketball (III) Zoe Unruh Washington University (Missouri) Environmental Studies (3.88)
Men’s Gymnastics Benjamin Baldus-Strauss University of Michigan Biochemistry (3.948)
Women’s Gymnastics Kassandra Price University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Marketing/Advertising (4.0)
Men’s Ice Hockey (I) Mark Cornacchia Rochester Institute of Technology Finance (3.85)
Men’s Ice Hockey (III) Igor Martinez Norwich University Civil Engineering (4.0)
Women’s Ice Hockey (I) Vicki Bendus Mercyhurst College Biology (3.937)
Women’s Ice Hockey (III) Nara Higano  Gustavus Adolphus College Physics (4.0)
Skiing Caitlin Patterson University of Vermont Civil Engineering (4.0)
Men’s Swimming & Diving (I) Andrew Elliott The Ohio State University Finance (4.0)
Men’s Swimming & Diving (II) Matthew Laschuk Wayne State University (Michigan) Chemistry (4.0)
Men’s Swimming & Diving (III) Kellen Beckwith Olivet College

 

Mathematics (4.0)
Women’s Swimming & Diving (I) Ella Doerge Texas A&M University, College Station Genetics (4.0)
Women’s Swimming & Diving (II) Angel Forsling Colorado School of Mines Petroleum Engineering (4.0)
Women’s Swimming & Diving (III) Tessa Dover Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps College Psychology/Legal Studies (4.0)
Men’s Indoor Track & Field (I) Bjorn Barrefors University of Nebraska, Lincoln Computer Science (4.0)
Men’s Indoor Track & Field (II) Aaron Swift Colorado School of Mines Mechanical Engineering (3.828)
Men’s Indoor Track & Field (III) Bobby Torphy Muhlenberg College Biochemistry (4.0)
Women’s Indoor Track & Field (I) Jessica Ubanyionwu Baylor University Health Science Studies/Pre-Medicine (3.942)
Women’s Indoor Track & Field (II) Marie Patton Colorado School of Mines Engineering Physics (4.0)
Women’s Indoor Track & Field (III) Liz Phillips Washington University (Missouri) Biomedical Engineering (4.0)
Wrestling (I) Nick Amuchastequi Stanford University Mechanical Engineering (4.0)
Wrestling (II) Cory Bloodgood University of Central Missouri Finance (3.918)
Wrestling (III) Adam Weber Wartburg College Business Administration (3.96)

 

 

For more information on the Elite 88 award winners, log on to NCAA.com/elite88.

 

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