Cleveland State's West, UW-Green Bay's Meissner named League Scholar-Athletes of the Week

March 6, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State University sophomore Rob West (men's tennis) and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior Amy Meissner (women's tennis) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (March 6).

West improved his singles record to 15-4 with a straight-sets victory versus Chicago State University on Sunday (March 4). He also teamed with Steven Wipprecht to score a vicory at No. 3 doubles. That effort helped lift the Vikings to a 5-2 triumph against the Cougars. Cleveland State is now 10-2 overall this season after winning for the seventh time in the last eight duals.

In the classroom, West carries a 3.66 grade-point average as a psychology major. His GPA is seventh-best among all male student-athletes in the CSU athletics department. He was a member of the Horizon League's Academic Honor Roll and gained notice as a CSU Academic Athletic Excellence Award winner last semester.

Meissner went 3-1 as the Phoenix split a pair of home matches last weekend. She posted victories in both singles and doubles Sunday to lift UW-Green Bay past League rival Wright State University, 4-3. The senior won her matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against the Raiders, and was also victorious in doubles play Saturday (March 3) in a 5-2 loss to Bradley University.

In the classroom, Meissner boasts a 3.829 grade-point average as a Spanish major, with minors in both business administration and education. She earned a spot on the League's Academic Honor Roll last semester and is a repeat honoree on the Dean's List.

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:

Tom Levin, Loyola (basketball, junior, 3.63, economics) scored six points and pulled down two rebounds in the Rambler's 66-62 victory over the University of Illinois at Chicago in the second round of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship last Friday (March 2). He also grabbed two caroms in a 67-66 overtime loss to Butler University in the semifinals on Saturday (March 3).

Nick Camilleri, Wright State (tennis, sophomore, 3.465, biological sciences) posted a 2-1 record at No. 3 singles over the weekend. He scored a straight-sets victory versus the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Friday and also posted a two-set triumph versus Marquette University on the same trip.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Jackie Closser, Butler (basketball, senior, 3.616, elementary education) averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds in two victories last weekend. The First-Team All-League selection scored 15 points and had nine rebounds in a victory over Cleveland State University on Saturday, and has made at least one three-point field goal in 56 consecutive games.

Marquise Hanser, Loyola (basketball, senior, 3.40, marketing) scored 19 points with three assists and three steals versus the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Saturday. She also had 11 points and five helpers in the Ramblers' contest against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday (March 1).

Crystal Szymanski, UW-Milwaukee (swimming, senior, 3.432, Spanish) finished 11th on the one-meter board at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships last weekend. One of only four Horizon League participants in the three-meter competition at the meet, she also finished 33rd in that event for her highest finish in three years of qualifying for the zone meet.

Christa Ames, Wright State (tennis, junior, 3.224, mathematics) won both of her matches at the No. 4 singles position, defeating opponents from UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay over the weekend. She also joined teammate Karina Presti to post a victory at the second doubles position against UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

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)
Dec. 5 -- Bjorn Schantz (Cleveland State, swimming), Amanda Popp (UW-Green Bay, basketball)
Dec. 12 -- Tom Levin (Loyola, basketball), Jenna Real (Loyola, basketball)
Dec. 19 -- Mike Schachtner (UW-Green Bay, basketball), Steph Comisar (Wright State, basketball)
Dec. 27 -- A.J. Graves (Butler, basketball), Jenna Real (Loyola, basketball)
Jan. 9 -- Mike Schachtner (UW-Green Bay, basketball), Jenna Real (Loyola, basketball)
Jan. 16 -- Dan Lindstrom (UW-Green Bay, swimming), Whitney Lewis (Wright State, basketball)
Jan. 23 -- Robby Leibold (UW-Milwaukee, swimming), Jackie Closser (Butler, basketball)
Jan. 30 -- Drew Streicher (Butler, basketball), Molly Cox (UW-Green Bay, swimming)
Feb. 6 -- Blake Booher (UIC, swimming), Lindsay Caldwell (UW-Milwaukee, swimming)
Feb. 13 -- Drew Burleson (Wright State, basketball), Jenni Saarinen (UW-Milwaukee, indoor track and field)
Feb. 20 -- Evan West (Butler, tennis), Genni Gardner (Butler, indoor track)

MULTIPLE-AWARD WINNERS
5 - Bjorn Schantz, Cleveland State
4 - Genni Gardner, Butler
3 - Mary Parker, Detroit
3 - Jenna Real, Loyola
2 - Blake Booher, UIC
2 - Lindsay Caldwell, UW-Milwaukee
2 - Whitney Lewis, Wright State
2 - Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee
2 - Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
2 - Kent Wories, Butler
2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola