Horizon League Announces Academic All-League Teams for Winter Sports
April 10, 2008 INDIANAPOLIS
Complete Release in PDF Format 
A total of 76 student-athletes from six sports were honored in balloting by the League's faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee led the way with 16 selections, followed by Butler University with 14. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wright State University each had ten student-athletes recognized, with Youngstown State University and League newcomer Valparaiso University boasting eight and six, respectively. The University of Illinois at Chicago boasted five honorees, followed by the University of Detroit Mercy (four), Cleveland State University (two) and Loyola University Chicago (one).
For the third year in a row, Butler featured three members of the men's basketball Academic All-League team. Senior guard A.J. Graves helped the Bulldogs to a Horizon League-record 30 victories (30-4 overall, including the Horizon League regular-season and tournament championships) and was a First-Team All-League selection on the court as well as a Second-Team Academic All-America pick by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Graves averaged 13.6 points per game this season while maintaining a 3.335 grade-point average as a mathematics/actuarial science major.
Teammate Drew Streicher earned his fourth certificate, with the latest award honoring his perfect 4.000 grade-point average in work toward his master's degree in business administration. The senior forward was a member of the League's All-Defensive Team in 2007-08 and also garnered Third-Team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America acclaim. Green Bay junior Mike Schachtner (3.818 GPA, psychology) joined Streicher on that team as well as the Academic All-League rolls. Schachtner was a Second-Team All-League performer on the court and received his second consecutive Academic All-League citation.
Butler sixth-year senior Julian Betko (3.607, business administration) was the fourth repeat honoree in men's basketball, winning his third consecutive award.
Wright State junior Whitney Lewis received her third Academic All-League honor in women's basketball, leading a trio of repeat selections from last year. Lewis, a Third-Team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America selection, led the circuit and ranked second in the nation with her .475 shooting percentage from three-point range and joins Youngstown State senior Lauren Branson (3.93, special education) and Green Bay senior Kayla Groh (3.689, business administration) as multiple-time members of the Academic All-League quintet.
Branson led the League with an average of 5.39 assists per game, while Groh and Valparaiso junior Agnieszka Kulaga (3.78, international business) both won Second-Team All-League acclaim on the hardwood for their efforts after ranking among the loop's top scorers. Groh paced the Phoenix to its tenth consecutive regular-season title.
The men's swimming and diving Academic All-League team features three performers that won individual events at the 2008 Horizon League Championships. Wright State sophomore Nathan Demchuk (3.39, biological sciences) took top honors in the 400-yard individual medley as well as the 1,000-yard freestyle, while senior teammate Micah Belew (3.388, biological sciences) won the 200-yard freestyle race. The Raider tandem helped lead Wright State to its sixth Horizon League title in the last eight years. Cleveland State sophomore Stephen Grove (3.830, mechanical engineering) touched first in the 50-yard freestyle at the League Championships.
Four swimmers landed on the men's Academic All-League squad for the second year in a row, as Green Bay senior Bobby Balow (3.358, chemistry), Milwaukee junior Robby Leibold (3.278, health sciences), Cleveland State junior Nedim Nisic (3.380, international business) and Milwaukee senior David Yugo (3.671, business) were among the 15 student-athletes honored.
Wright State senior Jessica Weidert (4.000, modern languages) headlined the 17-member Academic All-League team in women's swimming and diving, and was an Academic All-League selection for the third time. Weidert was named the Swimmer of the Meet at the Horizon League Championships after setting event records in the 200-yard breastsroke (2:18.63), 200-yard individual medley (2:04.16) and 400-yard IM (4:24.27), and was also tabbed as the League's Athlete of the Year. She was one of four repeat Academic All-League honorees, joining senior teammate Catalina Martinez (3.48, biomedical engineering), WSU junior Kelsey Cooper (3.77, English), and Butler junior Sarah Lynne Gates (3.876, pharmacy).
Four other academic selections won event titles at last month's League Championships. Milwaukee junior Molly Finn (3.261) set an event record in the 200-yard butterfly with her 2:03.79 clocking, while UIC senior Andrea Giczewski (3.42, communications) touched first in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Green Bay seniors Lauren McGraw (3.233, general studies) and Kari Helland (3.685, business administration) won the one- and three-meter diving competitions, respectively, with McGraw named the Diver of the Meet.
In men's indoor track and field, Valparaiso senior Steve Bartholomew (3.281, management) added Academic All-League honors to his season résumé. Bartholomew was named the Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year after qualifying for the NCAA Championships with his effort in the weight throw at the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championships. Bartholomew set a League record with his toss of 67 feet, 9 3/4 inches and was one of three event champions to win spots on the 17-member Academic All-League Team. Milwaukee junior Adam Schleis (3.360, history) took first place in the 60-meter high hurdles and the long jump at the Horizon League Championships to help lead the Panthers to the team title, with Youngstown state junior Aaron Merrill (3.66, criminal justice) winning the shot put crown.
Detroit senior Andrew Hayner (4.00, political science and history) received his third Academic All-League certificate, while seven other performers were repeat selections. That list includes fellow Titan seniors Ryan Byrne (3.789, mechanical engineering) and Sinisa Simic (3.435, architecture), along with the Milwaukee duo of Schleis and senior Larry Ehrhorn (3.291, education). UIC junior Oscar Pina (3.88, criminal justice), Youngstown State junior J.D. Sheppard (3.68, exercise science) and Butler senior Chris Smith (3.272, English) also returned to the Academic All-League rolls.
Seven of the 17 honorees in women's indoor track and field captured event titles at the League Championships, including Youngstown State senior Bethany Anderson (3.46, physical education), who was named the circuit's Athlete of the Year following a record-setting performance in the weight throw. Anderson posted a mark of 63 feet, 10 1/2 inches to help YSU to the team title. Butler senior Genni Gardner (3.943, communications disorders) eclipsed the League standard in the mile (4:55.81) to join Anderson and Butler senior Kristi Hertzler (3.712, biology) as three-time Academic All-League honorees
Milwaukee juniors Holly Nearman (3.702, journalism) and Jenni Saarinen (3.717, elementary education) were repeat selections. Nearman crossed the finish line as the circuit's champion in the 5,000 meters, while sophomore teammate Erin Havener (3.487, nursing) set a League record with her pole vault of 11 feet, 11 3/4 inches. The other event champions on the Academic All-League squad include Youngstown State sophomore Alisha Anthony (long jump -- 3.75, exercise science), Butler senior Claire Holme (3,000 meters -- 4.00, education) and Milwaukee sophomore Laura Ring (800 meters -- 3.739, psychology).
The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes with Academic All-League teams in each of its 19 championship sports. To be eligible for Academic All-Horizon League consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale) and have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits.
Note: A complete list of the honorees for each sport can be found in the PDF version of this release.
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