Green Bay, Cleveland State Basketball Players Named Scholar-Athletes of the Month for January
Feb. 6, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay junior Ryan Tillema (men's basketball) and Cleveland State University sophomore Kailey Klein (women's basketball) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Month for January, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Wednesday (February 6).
Tillema averaged 13.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for the month, shooting 48.5 percent from the field, including 15-for-31 from the three-point line and 25-for-31 from the free throw line. He scored 23 points in just 25 minutes of play against the University of Detroit Mercy on Jan. 3, after going 8-of-10 from the field, including five three-pointers. Tillema posted double-digit totals in six of the eight games last month, and was the leading Phoenix scorer. Currently, he ranks 16th in the Horizon League in scoring (11.6 points per game), second in free throw percentage (.855), 12th in three-point accuracy (.425) and 13th in field goal percentage (.484).
Academically, Tillema maintains a 3.388 grade-point average as a business administration major. He was named the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 8, and has also been a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.
Klein led the Vikings to a 6-2 month as she averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting .434 from the field, .381 from behind the arc, and .804 at the foul line. She had 21 points and five boards in a victory over UIC on Jan. 5, and has averaged 24.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game over the last five contests. Klein also recorded her first double-double with 30 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Youngstown State University on Jan. 26, and finished the month with a 24-point, six rebound, six assist effort as the Vikings snapped a five game losing streak at Butler University. She currently leads the League in scoring at 19.0 points per game.
As a business major, Klein carries a 3.40 grade-point average, and was previously named a U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week in November.
The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards in 2006 as a way to supplement recognition of outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. That commitment continued with the addition of the U.S. Scholar-Athlete of the Month awards in the fall of 2007. 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 month'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, senior, 3.335, math) helped Butler to a 7-1 record and first place in the Horizon League during the month of January. He was the team's fourth-leading scorer, averaging 8.9 points per game, as he started all eight games and led the team in minutes played. Graves was second on the team in three-point field goals (14), assists (15) and steals (13) for the month.
Aric Van Weelden, Loyola (basketball, sophomore, 3.52, business) averaged 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds off the bench in seven appearances during the month of January. He had three points and a steal in a road victory over Valparaiso on Jan. 26, and then matched a career high with five points in a win over Youngstown State on Jan. 31. Loyola is now 6-1 this season when Van Weelden scores.
Steve Bartholomew, Valparaiso (indoor track & field, senior, 3.28, management) won the weight throw at the Phoenix Invitational on Jan. 19, registering a toss of 56 feet 4 3/4 inches, to defeat the runner-up by over five feet. He then improved that mark by over two feet during his next time out at the Findlay Classic (58 fee 10 inches), finishing third among collegiate throwers at the meet.
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:
Kayla Groh, Green Bay (basketball, senior, 3.689, business administration) aided the Phoenix in posting a 7-1 record in January by leading the team with 13.6 points per game. Along the way, Groh led the team with her .586 field-goal percentage, .529 three-point percentage and a white-hot .914 free throw percentage to go with 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Groh also set a career-high with 24 points at Detroit on January 3. On the season, she ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.897).
Genevieve Binnie, Loyola (indoor track & field, junior, 3.70, biology) finished 12th in the 3K run at the Notre Dame Opener on Jan. 19, posting a personal-best time of 10:44.15, and breaking her previous mark by 17 seconds. She also placed 12th in the mile run with a time of 5:23.32.
Aimee Litka, Valparaiso (basketball, junior, 3.21, sports management) averaged 17.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 89 percent from the free throw line. She tallied a career-high 28 points and had nine boards at UIC, and recorded a double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Youngstown State. She scored in double figures in seven of Valpo's eight games last month.
Previous U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Month:
August/September: Mark Sommerfeld, Detroit (Golf); Betty Slinger, Green Bay (Volleyball)
October: Robby Leibold, Milwaukee (Swimming); Tara Geegan, Wright State (Volleyball)
November: Mike Schactner, Green Bay (Basketball); Tara Geegan, Wright State (Volleyball)
December: Samuel Haanpää (Basketball); Elyse VanBogaert (Basketball)
