Cleveland State's Schantz, UW-Green Bay's Popp named Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week
Dec. 5, 2006
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State University senior Bjorn Schantz (men's swimming) and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior Amanda Popp (women's basketball) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Dec. 5).
Schantz earned the award for the fifth time this season for his performance at the Miami (Ohio) University Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 2), where he clocked League-best efforts in the 500-yard freestyle (4:30.42) and 1,650-yard freestyle (15:53.98). He also finished the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.35 and holds the League's top times of the season in all three events.
In the classroom, Schantz boasts a 3.90 grade-point average as an international business/marketing major, earning CSU's Athletic Academic Award in 2005. The Viking senior was the League's men's swimming 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. He also was a member of the Academic All-League Team in 2006.
Popp scored a season-high 19 points---one off her career-high---in a 71-70 loss to 17th-ranked DePaul University last Wednesday (Nov. 29). Popp hit six of seven shots from the floor and grabbed three rebounds in 35 minutes against the Blue Demons, raising her season scoring average to 9.5 points per game.
In the classroom, Popp owns a 3.766 grade-point average majoring in psychology and human development. She was named to the Acaedmic All-Horizon League last season and helped the Phoenix compile a 3.362 team GPA, which ranked tenth in the nation, according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Popp has been a member of three consecutive WBCA Academic Top 25 teams during her time in Green Bay.
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 in double figures twice as the 15th-ranked Bulldogs remained undefeated at 9-0. Graves had 13 points and two steals in a 60-47 victory at Valparaiso University on Wednesday (Nov. 29) and tallied 14 points with five rebounds in a 70-45 triumph over Cleveland State University on Saturday (Dec. 2). He ranks third in the nation with a .980 free-throw percentage (49-of-50).
Blake Booher, UIC (senior, swimming, 3.42, political science) competed in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle time trials at the U.S. Open last weekend. He finished 31st among 69 participants in the 50 free, turning in a time of :24.22 in that event Thursday (Nov. 30), while his performance in the 100 on Saturday was 53rd.
Tom Levin, Loyola (basketball, junior, 3.58, economics) averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in two games last week, helping the Ramblers to a 6-2 start on the season. He has not committed a turnover in 50 minutes of action during his last four appearances, including Loyola's 71-52 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday.
Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee (swimming, sophomore, 3.828, undecided) helped the Panthers to a first-place finish at the Wheaton (Ill.) College Invitational. He won the 1,650-yard freestyle, setting pool and meet records with his time of 15:51.70 which missed a school mark by .02 seconds. Leibold also finished second in the 500-yard freestyle (4:37.14) and third in the 400-yard individual medley (4:07.51).
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:
Marianne Lionell, Cleveland State (swimming, senior, 3.23, international business) posted the team's top times of the season in the 50-yard (:24.59) and 100-yard (:53.30) freestyle plus the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.59) at the Miami Invitational on Saturday. The latter time is the third best in the League this season, while both freestyle marks rate fourth on the circuit timesheet.
Nikki Grobbecker, UIC (basketball, sophomore, 3.23, business management) led the Flames with nine rebounds versus the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday (Dec. 3). She averaged 6.5 caroms in two outings for the week, lifting her season average to a mark of 6.9 which ranks fourth in the League.
Jenna Real, Loyola (basketball, senior, 3.54, fine arts) posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Valparaiso on Thursday. She hit seven of 11 shots from the floor in that contest, and added eight points along with seven rebounds at Bradley University on Sunday.
Lindsay Caldwell, UW-Milwaukee (swimming, senior, 3.586, journalism and mass communications) won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events at the Wheaton Invitational, leading the Panthers to the team title. The League's reigning women's swimming Athlete of the Year also placed second in the 200-yard freestyle, while swimming legs of the victorious 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams.
PREVIOUS SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Aug. 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)Nov. 14 -- Bjorn Schantz (Cleveland State, swimming), Genni Gardner (Butler, cross country)Nov. 21 -- Robby Leibold (UW-Milwaukee, swimming), Sarah Moore (UW-Milwaukee, volleyball)Nov. 28 -- Bjorn Schantz (Cleveland State, swimming), Whitney Lewis (Wright State, basketball)
MULTIPLE-AWARD WINNERS5 - Bjorn Schantz, Cleveland State3 - Genni Gardner, Butler3 - Mary Parker, Detroit2 - Kent Wories, Butler2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola
