Cleveland State's Wipprecht, UW-Milwaukee's Saarinen named U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Week

April 10, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State University sophomore Steven Wipprecht (men's tennis) and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore Jenni Saarinen (women's outdoor track and field) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (April 10).

Wipprecht netted a pair of victories in the Vikings' only action of the week, helping the Vikings to a 5-2 dual-meet triumph over Wright State University on Saturday (April 7). He teamed with previous Scholar-Athlete of the Week Rob West for an 8-1 victory at the third doubles slot, and then came back to post a straight-sets conquest at the No. 6 singles flight.

In the classroom, Wipprecht owns a 3.90 grade-point average as a health sciences major. His GPA is the highest among all male student-athletes at the school, and he earned a spot on the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll last semester. He is also a winner of the CSU Academic Excellence Award.

Saarinen won the long-jump competition on Friday (April 6) at the Big Blue Classic at Charleston, Ill., soaring 19 feet to earn top honors. She also finished second in the high jump with a 5-5¾ effort on Saturday, and added a third-place showing in the javelin (125 feet, four inches) and a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (15.77 seconds).

In the classroom, Saarinen carries a 3.800 grade-point average as an elementary education major. She was a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll last semester and has earned Dean's List accolades from UWM. She was named the Field Newcomer of the Year at the League's Indoor and Outdoor championships as a freshman and won the pentathlon for the second consecutive year at this winter's Indoor Track and Field Championships.

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.

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)
Feb. 20 -- Evan West (Butler, tennis), Genni Gardner (Butler, indoor track)
Feb. 27 -- Blake Booher (UIC, swimming), Lindsay Caldwell (UW-Milwaukee, swimming)
Mar. 6 -- Rob West (Cleveland State, tennis), Amy Meissner (UW-Green Bay, tennis)
Mar. 13 -- Mark Sommerfeld (Detroit, golf), Jackie Closser (Butler, basketball)
Mar. 20 -- A.J. Graves (Butler, basketball), Kat Krause (Loyola, softball)
Mar. 27 -- John Westra (Cleveland State, baseball), Natalie Berglin (UW-Green Bay, basketball)
Apr. 3 -- Josh Page (Youngstown State, baseball), Kat Krause (Loyola, softball)

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 - Jackie Closser, Butler
2 - A.J. Graves, Butler
2 - Kat Krause, Loyola
2 - Whitney Lewis, Wright State
2 - Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee
2 - Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
2 - Kent Wories, Butler
2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola