Milwaukee's Waldhart, Hall Named Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Feb. 5, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -

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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore Jeremy Waldhart (men's swimming) and junior Ashley Hall (women's diving) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Feb. 5).

Waldhart won the 200-yard backstroke by almost three seconds last weekend, posting a time of 1:52.96. He extended his winning streak in the event to eight-straight on the season, and helped Milwaukee beat University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for the first time since 1999. Waldhart also swam on the runner-up 400-yard medley relay team and placed fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke.

As a biology major, Waldhart carries a 3.978 grade-point average. He has been named to the Dean's List, as well as the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.

Hall wins this award for the third time, after helping boost the Panthers past the Phoenix for only the second time in 17 years. She claimed victory on the three-meter board with a season-best and NCAA Zone-qualifying total of 297.90, giving her 13 victories in 17 attempts this season.

Academically, Hall boasts a 3.955 grade-point average as a business major. She is a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, as well as the UWM Dean's List.

The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards 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:

Kent Wories, Butler (indoor track & field, senior, 3.965, finance) turned in Butler's top individual performance with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 meter run at the IU Relays, posting a career-best time of 15:05.80.

Phil Orno, Cleveland State (tennis, sophomore, 3.40, English) posted a perfect 4-0 record in leading CSU to victories at St. Bonaventure and Niagara over the weekend. He started the week with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles, and also earned an 8-5 victory at No. 2 doubles before picking up a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles, and an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles in the Vikings' 4-3 victory over Niagara on Saturday (Feb. 2).

Aric VanWeelden, Loyola (basketball, sophomore, 3.52, business) contributed 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game as Loyola won a pair of games last week. He tied a career-high with five points and added three rebounds and an assist in a victory over Youngstown State on Thursday (Jan. 31). VanWeelden then had two points, a rebound, and three steals in Loyola's win over CSU on Saturday.

Aaron Merrill, Youngstown State (indoor track & field, junior, 3.66, criminal justice) posted the League's best distance of the indoor season in the shot put, finishing fifth in the elite gold division at the Akron Open with a mark of 53 feet 7.75 inches. He also threw a personal-best 51 feet 5 inches in the weight throw, ranking fifth in YSU history.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Kailey Klein, Cleveland State (basketball, sophomore, 3.40, business) led CSU to a pair of road wins last weekend, averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, while shooting 65 percent from the field, 83 percent at the free throw line, and 43 percent from three-point range. In a 65-61 win at Butler on Thursday (Jan. 31), she had 24 points, six boards, and six assists. She then tied her career-high with 33 points in the Vikings' victory at Valpo on Saturday (Feb. 2).

Erin Templin, Green Bay (basketball, junior, 3.556, business administration) helped the Phoenix maintain their lead in the League with her all-around performance on Saturday against Milwaukee, scoring 11 points, grabbing five rebounds, and five assists. She is averaging 8.5 points per game on the season.

Elyse VanBogaert, Loyola (basketball, sophomore, 3.65, undeclared) averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal in a pair of games last week. She scored 16 points, had eight rebounds, and a block in a 79-70 victory over Detroit on Thursday, before accounting for 17 points, a board, a block, and a pair of steals in a 56-49 loss to Wright State on Saturday.

Launa Hochstetler, Valparaiso (basketball, junior, 3.744, accounting and finance) averaged 7.0 points per game against Youngstown State and Cleveland State last week. She scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting, all from three-point range, against YSU and then added eight points, an assist and a steal against CSU.

Alisha Anthony, Youngstown State (indoor track & field, sophomore, 3.75, exercise science) won the long jump in the elite gold division at the Akron Open with a collegiate-best leap of 19 feet 2 inches. She also ran the 60-meter race in a personal-bnest time of 7.97 seconds to finish 13th in the blue division.

PREVIOUS U.S. ARMY SCHOLAR-ATHLETES:

Aug. 28,Nina Inic (Butler, volleyball)
Sept. 5,Ryan Miller (Green Bay, cross country); Liz Fazio (Cleveland State, volleyball)
Sept. 11,Chris Honig (Valparaiso, cross country); Katarina Hanackova (UIC, volleyball)
Sept. 18,Malcolm DeBaun (Loyola, soccer); Betty Slinger (Green Bay, volleyball)
Sept. 25,Markian Zyga (Loyola, soccer); Sara Hughes (Valparaiso, volleyball)
Oct. 2,Kent Wories (Butler, cross country); Ani Michl (Valparaiso, soccer)
Oct. 9,Zeke Dombrowski (Milwaukee, soccer); Lotte Rasmussen (Green Bay, soccer)
Oct. 16,Kent Wories (Butler, cross country); Amanda Stinson (Green Bay, soccer)
Oct. 23,Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Alyse Serritella (Loyola, volleyball)
Oct. 30,Steve Grove (Cleveland State, swimming); Genni Gardner (Butler, cross country)
Nov. 6,Steve Grove (Cleveland State, swimming); Beth Steuer (Milwaukee, soccer)
Nov. 13,Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Cynthia Morote-Ariza (Loyola, soccer)
Nov. 20,Mike Schachtner (Green Bay, basketball); Mel Snyder (Cleveland State, volleyball)
Nov. 27,AJ Graves (Butler, basketball); Kailey Klein (Cleveland State, basketball)
Dec. 4,Drew Streicher (Butler, basketball); Ashley Hall (Milwaukee, diving)
Dec. 11,Jake Diebler (Valparaiso, basketball); Ashley Hall (Milwaukee, diving)
Dec. 18,Samuel Haanpää (Valparaiso, basketball); Leah Hochstetler (Valparaiso, basketball)
Jan. 8,Ryan Tillema (Green Bay, basketball); Kayla Groh (Green Bay, basketball)
Jan. 15,Mike Schachtner (Green Bay, basketball); Kari Helland (Green Bay, diving)
Jan. 22,Steve Bartholomew (Valparaiso, Indoor Track & Field), Kelsey Hausken (Green Bay, swimming)
Jan. 29,Robby Leibold (Milwaukee, swimming); Jessica Weidert (Wright State, swimming)