Butler's Graves, Loyola's Schober Honored as Scholar-Athletes of the Week

March 25, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -

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Butler University senior A.J. Graves (men's basketball) and Loyola University Chicago senior Nora Schober (softball) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (March 25).

Graves helped guide Butler to a 81-61 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over South Alabama on Friday (Mar. 21) with 18 points and a game-high six assists, and then led the Bulldogs with 21 points in a 76-71 overtime loss to Tennessee in the second round on Sunday (Mar. 23). He had four steals against South Alabama, and five against Tennessee, both game-high totals. Graves also set Butler career records for games played (130) and games started (124) during the NCAA Tournament.

In the classroom, Graves maintains a 3.335 grade-point average as an actuarial science major. He was a First-Team Academic All-America in 2006-2007, and a Second-Team pick in 2007-2008, as well as a member of ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA District V All-Academic team the past two seasons. Graves has also twice been honored on the Horizon League All-Academic Team, and has been named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll. This is Graves' third Scholar-Athlete of the Week award this year, and the fifth of his career.

Schober batted .333 (2-for-6) with three stolen bases, a run, and an RBI last week in a pair of games at Butler. She went 1-for-3 with an RBI double in a 5-4 loss on Friday. Schober then was 1-for-3 with three steals and scored the Ramblers' lone run in a 1-0, 11-inning victory later that day.

Academically, Schober is a graduate student, pursuing her Master's Degree in Business Administration. She carries a 3.78 grade-point average, and has been a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll. Schober helped her team to a 2007 NFCA All-Academic Team Award, and she also serves on Loyola and the Horizon League's Student-Athlete Advisory Committees.

The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards as a way to recognize outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution and passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours, and perform well during the week's competition. Winners are selected by a group of League faculty athletic representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.

OTHER MALE NOMINEES:

Mark Goldin, Green Bay (tennis, senior, 3.524, business administration) went 2-0 in singles play and 2-1 in doubles last week. He clinched the match-winner against Colgate on Monday (Mar. 17), rallying with a three-set, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory at the No. 3 position. Goldin also came from behind to win against NJIT on Thursday (Mar. 20), 3-6, 6-2, 10-7.

Aaron Swenson, Youngstown State (baseball, sophomore, 3.22, business marketing) was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week for his complete-game victory over Butler on Saturday (Mar. 22). He allowed just one run on eight hits and did not walk a batter for his fourth consecutive start. Swenson also had a single in the game.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Kailey Klein, Cleveland State (basketball, sophomore, 3.30, business) led the Vikings with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists as CSU fell at No. 4 Stanford in CSU's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship on Saturday. She was 6-of-17 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, as she ended the season with a school-record 654 points. Klein finished second in the League in scoring on the season with an avaerage of 19.8 points per game, and was named the MVP at the Horizon League Championship.

Anna Bluemel, Green Bay (softball, senior, 3.735, human biology) had a 2-1 record last week in the Rebel Spring Games, earning a win against Cornell as she pitched seven innings and allowed just two runs on nine hits on Wednesday (Mar. 19). She also came on in relief against Army on Thursday (Mar. 20) and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.

PREVIOUS U.S. ARMY SCHOLAR-ATHLETES:

Aug. 28Nina Inic (Butler, volleyball)
Sept. 5Ryan Miller (Green Bay, cross country); Liz Fazio (Cleveland State, volleyball)
Sept. 11Chris Honig (Valparaiso, cross country); Katarina Hanackova (UIC, volleyball)
Sept. 18Malcolm DeBaun (Loyola, soccer); Betty Slinger (Green Bay, volleyball)
Sept. 25Markian Zyga (Loyola, soccer); Sara Hughes (Valparaiso, volleyball)
Oct. 2Kent Wories (Butler, cross country); Ani Michl (Valparaiso, soccer)
Oct. 9Zeke Dombrowski (Milwaukee, soccer); Lotte Rasmussen (Green Bay, soccer)
Oct. 16Kent Wories (Butler, cross country); Amanda Stinson (Green Bay, soccer)
Oct. 23Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Alyse Serritella (Loyola, volleyball)
Oct. 30Steve Grove (Cleveland State, swimming); Genni Gardner (Butler, cross country)
Nov. 6Steve Grove (Cleveland State, swimming); Beth Steuer (Milwaukee, soccer)
Nov. 13Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Cynthia Morote-Ariza (Loyola, soccer)
Nov. 20Mike Schachtner (Green Bay, basketball); Mel Snyder (Cleveland State, volleyball)
Nov. 27A.J. Graves (Butler, basketball); Kailey Klein (Cleveland State, basketball)
Dec. 4Drew Streicher (Butler, basketball); Ashley Hall (Milwaukee, diving)
Dec. 11Jake Diebler (Valparaiso, basketball); Ashley Hall (Milwaukee, diving)
Dec. 18Samuel Haanpää (Valparaiso, basketball); Leah Hochstetler (Valparaiso, basketball)
Jan. 8Ryan Tillema (Green Bay, basketball); Kayla Groh (Green Bay, basketball)
Jan. 15Mike Schachtner (Green Bay, basketball); Kari Helland (Green Bay, diving)
Jan. 22Steve Bartholomew (Valparaiso, indoor track & field), Kelsey Hausken (Green Bay, swimming)
Jan. 29Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Jessica Weidert (Wright State, swimming)
Feb. 5Jeremy Waldhart (Milwaukee, swimming); Ashley Hall (Milwaukee, diving)
Feb. 12Phil Orno (Cleveland State, tennis); Kat Krause (Loyola, softball)
Feb. 19A.J. Graves (Butler, basketball); Elise VanBogaert (Loyola, basketball)
Feb. 26Adam Schleis (Milwaukee, baseball); Jessica Weidert (Wright State, swimming)
Mar. 4Julian Betko (Butler, basketball); Launa Hochstetler (Valparaiso, basketball)
Mar. 11Aaron Merrill (Youngstown State, outdoor track & field); Andrea Zappia (Valparaiso, softball)
Mar. 18Andy Hetebrueg (Milwaukee, baseball); Kim Sajevic (Valparaiso, tennis)