UIC's Booher, UW-Milwaukee's Caldwell named Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Feb. 27, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Illinois at Chicago senior Blake Booher (men's swimming and diving) and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior Lindsay Caldwell (women's swimming and diving) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Feb. 27).

Booher earned his second Scholar-Athlete honor of the season with his performance at last week's League Championships, where he was named the League's male Athlete of the Year. Booher won two individual events and was a member of two championship relay units. He captured individual honors in the 50-yard freestyle with a :20.32 clocking in the finals on Thursday (Feb. 22), and added the 100-yard crown with a :45.00 effort on Saturday (Feb. 24). He also swam a :19.37 anchor leg in the 200-yard freestyle relay to pace UIC to a League-record 1:21.05 finish on Wednesday (Feb. 21).

In the classroom, Booher carries a 3.29 grade-point average as a political science major and was a member of the Academic All-League team last season. He is also a member of the UIC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Caldwell finished her career with a third Swimmer of the Meet honor at the League Championships, where she played a key role in the Panthers' second-place finish. She won three events and was a part of two first-place relay teams, clearing the NCAA B-Cut qualification time with her :23.37 performance in the 50-yard freestyle on Thursday. Caldwell came ack with a 1:52.34 performance in the 200 free the next day, and added a :51.77 timing in the 100 free on Saturday. Her 200-yard freestyle relay team set a school record at the event.

In the classroom, Caldwell boasts a 3.586 grade-point average, majoring in journalism and mass communications. She garnered Second-Team Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America and was an Academic All-League pick in 2006. The Scholar-Athlete award is Caldwell's second this year.

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.

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OTHER MALE NOMINEES:

Bjorn Schantz, Cleveland State (swimming, senior, 3.89, international business) helped the Vikings to a second-place finish at last week's League Championships, finishing second in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events plus third in the 1,000-yard event. He also swam the lead leg of the school's 800-yard freestyle relay team which placed second.

Shawn Lucas, Loyola (indoor track and field, senior, 3.27, human resource management/sports management) won the individual title in the 1,000 meters at last weekend's League Championships. His 2:33.26 timing in the event helped the Ramblers to a fourth-place showing in the final team standings.

Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee (swimming, sophomore, 3.828, undecided) helped the Panthers to a third-place finish at the League Championships, the school's best showing in seven years. He took third place in the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle, and added a sixth-place finish in the 1,000-yard event.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Amanda Houchin, Cleveland State (softball, sophomore, 3.44, sociology and criminology) batted .400 with four hits in ten at-bats in the season-opening Longwood Classic. Her effort included two home runs, a double and three runs batted in, enabling Cleveland State to post a perfect 3-0 record.

Nikki Grobbecker, UIC (basketball, sophomore, 3.29, business management) led the Flames with 11 rebounds in a victory over the University of Detroit Mercy last Saturday (Feb. 24). She also made three of four shots from the field for seven points to help UIC to a school-record 11th consecutive victory.

Marcia Faustin, Loyola (indoor track and field, senior, 3.48, biology) won the high jump with a leap of 1.66 meters at the Horizon League Championships. She became only the second athlete in League history to win that event at four consecutive loop summits, and also finished sixth in the 200-meter dash.

Molly Cox, UW-Green Bay (swimming and diving, senior, 3.621, education) led the Phoenix to a third consecutive Horizon League title, taking second place in both the 1,000-yard (10:21.70) and 1,650-yard (17:22.45) freestyle races and finishing third in the 500-yard freestyle with a 5:02.46 performance. She was also a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay squad which set a League record with a 7:35.27 timing.

Becky Bertuzzi, Youngstown State (swimming and diving, senior, 3.85, advertising and public relations) broke a 24-year-old school record in the 200-yard freestyle at the League Championships, adding career-best times in the 100-yard event. She placed sixth in the 200 at the loop summit and also swam in four relay events for the Penguins.

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 and field)
Feb. 20 -- Evan West (Butler, tennis), Genni Gardner (Butler, indoor track)

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 - Whitney Lewis, Wright State
2 - Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee
2 - Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
2 - Kent Wories, Butler
2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola