Detroit's Sommerfeld, Butler's Closser named Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week
March 13, 2007
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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Detroit Mercy junior Mark Sommerfeld (men's golf) and Butler University senior Jackie Closser (women's basketball) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (March 13).
Sommerfeld set a pair of tournament records while winning his first collegiate championship last Friday (March 9). He carded rounds of 70 and 66 for a (six-under-par) 136 total and a four-shot victory at the Fort Lauderdale Invitational, leading the Titans to a second-place finish in the team standings. The final-round score and 36-hole total were both the best in the tournament's five-year history.
In the classroom, Sommerfeld owns a 3.385 grade-point average as an international business major. The League's Player of the Year and a First-Team All-League honoree on the links in 2005-06, he also earnedAcademic All-League honors and is a member of the League's Academic Honor Roll. In addition, Sommerfeld is a member of Detroit's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and has participated in the NCAA's "Stay in Bounds" program since 2005.
Closser earned All-Tournament honors after leading the Bulldogs to the title game of the Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship. She scored 25 points---11 in overtime---to pace Butler past the University of Illinois at Chicago in the semifinals, making all 12 of her free-throw attempts, and tied a single-game tournament record with seven three-pointers in her final collegiate contest, a 23-point effort versus the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in the title game. Closser made at least one trey in each of her last 59 games, one short of the all-time NCAA record.
In the classroom, Closser carries a 3.616 grade-point average as an elementary education major. She was a member of the Academic All-League team last year and garnered First-Team All-League acclaim on the court for the second consecutive year This is the second time Closser has received the League's weekly academic award, with the first coming on Jan. 23.
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:
Sean Bidzinski, Loyola (golf, sophomore, 3.88, biology) posted a three-round total of 242 to finish 69th individually at the Grover Page Classic last week. He carded back-to-back rounds of 80 to open the competition before turning in an 82 on the final circuit. The sophomore was a member of the League's Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Robert Michalkiewicz, UW-Milwaukee (baseball, senior, 3.389, marketing) threw the first complete game by a Panther pitcher since April 2, 2006, pitching eight innings at Austin Peay State University on Friday (March 9). He did not allow an earned run, scattering six hits while striking out four batters, but suffered a 3-1 defeat as six UWM errors led to three unearned runs.
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:
Christa Coppus, Cleveland State (softball, sophomore, 3.41, business) went five-for-nine (.556) with three RBI in two games at the Rebel Spring Games last weekend, the Vikings' first action of the season. She had three hits versus the U.S. Military Academy and went two-for-five with two RBI against Lafayette.
Michelle Baggio, Detroit (softball, senior, 3.642, education) compiled a .400 batting average (12-for-30) in eight games last week, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs at the Rebel Spring Games. She posted a .667 slugging percentage with a .455 on-base percentage.
Ashlee Ackerman, UIC (softball, junior, 3.47, undecided) posted a .357 (five-for-14) average in four games at the University of South Florida's adidas Invitational. She scored two runs and drove in another during the Flames' six-game stay in Florida, helping UIC to a 3-3 record on the trip.
Kat Krause, Loyola (softball, junior, 3.74, psychology/sociology) had four hits, including a triple, and three RBI in seven games during the Ramblers' trip to California last week. She was two-for-three with an RBI versus UC Santa Barbara on Saturday (March 10) after driving in two runs to help Loyola past Sacramento State on Friday (March 9).
Amanda Popp, UW-Green Bay (basketball, senior, 3.793, psychology/human development) earned All-Tournament recognition after helping the Phoenix to its eighth League title in the last ten years. She averaged a team-high 15.3 points in three games, shooting 56.3 percent from the field including seven-of-14 from three-point range. She scored 18 points in the final versus Butler University on Sunday (March 11).
Becky Hibner, Youngstown State (softball, junior, 3.37, exercise science) led the Penguins to a 3-1 record at the George Mason University Invitational, hitting .467 (seven-for-15) with a triple and three runs scored. She went three-for-four in a 7-6 victory over host GMU on Saturday and added two hits in four at-bats during a 6-3 loss to Brown University later that day.
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)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)Feb. 27 -- Blake Booher (UIC, swimming), Lindsay Caldwell (UW-Milwaukee, swimming)Mar. 6 -- Rob West (Cleveland State, tennis), Amy Meissner (UW-Green Bay, tennis)
MULTIPLE-AWARD WINNERS5 - Bjorn Schantz, Cleveland State4 - Genni Gardner, Butler3 - Mary Parker, Detroit3 - Jenna Real, Loyola2 - Blake Booher, UIC2 - Lindsay Caldwell, UW-Milwaukee2 - Jackie Closser, Butler2 - Whitney Lewis, Wright State2 - Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee2 - Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay2 - Kent Wories, Butler2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola
