Cleveland State's Schantz, Butler's Gardner named Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week
Nov. 14, 2006
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State University senior Bjorn Schantz (men's swimming) and Butler University junior Genni Gardner (women's cross country) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Nov. 14).
Schantz earned the award for the third time this season after winning the 50 freestyle with a League-season-best 9:28.58 clocking and placing second in the 1000 freestyle against Wright State University on Saturday (Nov. 11), helping the Vikings to a dual-meet victory and a 7-1 record for the season. He also swam the anchor leg of CSU's 400 freestyle relay unit which captured second place against the Raiders.
In the classroom, Schantz boasts a 3.828 grade-point average. The Viking senior was the League's Athlete of the Year in 2005-06 as well as the Swimmer of the Meet after helping CSU to the 2006 League Championship---the school's first title in any sport since 1999. In the classroom, he carries a 3.83 grade-point average as an international business/marketing major, earning Dean's List honors on several occasions as well as CSU's Athletic Academic Award in 2005. He also was a member of the Academic All-League Team in 2006.
Gardner is also a three-time winner, claiming the women's award after placing 26th at the 2006 Great Lakes Regional Championships with a time of 22:00.96. She placed fourth among 28 League runners entered in the meet and helped Butler to a fourth-place finish among the 30 teams participating. Gardner garnered First-Team All-League honors last month with her third-place showing at the loop summit.
Gardner carries 3.932 grade-point average as a communications disorders major. She was a Second-Team All-League performer last year (finishing 12th at the loop summit), when she also earned Academic All-League honors and was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN the Magazine District V Academic All-District Team.
The Horizon League instituted the Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards for this academic year 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:A.J. Graves, Butler (basketball, junior, 3.370, actuarial science) scored 13 points in the Bulldogs' season-opening 77-37 victory at Tulane University on Friday (Nov. 10). He handed out a team-high five assists with no turnovers in 24 minutes, while helping Butler hold Tulane to its lowest point total in more than 50 years.
Tim Baldes, Loyola (soccer, senior, 3.73, finance) anchored Loyola's defense in the school's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. He played all 97 minutes in the Ramblers' 1-0, overtime loss to 19th-ranked Northern Illinois University on Saturday (Nov. 11).
Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee (swimming, sophomore, 3.828, undecided) won all four events he entered over the weekend. He finished first in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle and 400 IM against League foes Butler and the University of Illinois at Chicago on Sunday (Nov. 12). He also captured the 1000 freestyle title in a victory over Valparaiso University on Saturday (Nov. 11).
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:Sarah Elmer, Loyola (volleyball, senior, 3.48, marketing) recorded her fourth triple-double of the year in a three-game sweep of cross-town rival University of Illinois at Chicago on Thursday (Nov. 9). She tallied ten kills, 40 assists, and 14 digs along with four blocks in the victory.
Ginny Graczyk, UW-Milwaukee (soccer, senior, 3.874, health sciences/psychology) played all 200 minutes in UWM's appearance at the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. She bolstered the UWM defensive effort which allowed only 15 shots in two matches, including nine by top-ranked University of Notre Dame on Sunday following the Panthers' overtime shutout versus the University of Michigan on Friday.
PREVIOUS SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE WEEKAug. 29-- Aaron Thompson (Butler, soccer), Liz Fazio (Cleveland State, volleyball) Sept. 5-- Kent Wories (Butler, cross country), Genni Gardner (Butler, cross country)Sept. 12 -- Kent Wories (Butler, cross country), Stephanie Gross (UW-Green Bay, soccer)Sept. 19 -- Markian Zyga (Loyola, soccer), Ginny Graczyk (UW-Milwaukee, soccer)Sept. 26 -- Paul Mongillo (Butler, soccer), Liz Fazio (Cleveland State, volleyball)Oct. 3 -- Tom Sadd (Cleveland State, soccer), Mary Parker (Detroit, soccer)Oct. 10 -- Billy Meier (UW-Milwaukee, soccer), Mary Parker (Detroit, soccer)Oct. 17 -- Nick Hawley (UW-Milwaukee, cross country), Mary Parker (Detroit, soccer)Oct. 24 -- Bjorn Schantz (Cleveland State, swimming), Betty Slinger (UW-Green Bay, volleyball)Oct. 31 -- Bjorn Schantz (Cleveland State, swimming), Genni Gardner (Butler, cross country)Nov. 7 -- Markian Zyga (Loyola, soccer), Sarah Rauen (UW-Green Bay, volleyball)
