UW-Milwaukee's Graczyk, Loyola's Zyga earn Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors
Sept. 20, 2006
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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior Ginny Graczyk (women's soccer) and Loyola University Chicago junior Markian Zyga (men's soccer) have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Sept. 19).
Graczyk played all 290 minutes in UWM's three matches last week, anchoring a defense which posted three shutouts and a 2-0-1 record. Her efforts enabled the Panthers to gain a 2-0 victory over cross-town rival Marquette University on Tuesday (Sept. 12) and a 0-0 draw versus the University of Kentucky on Friday (Sept. 15). The highlight of the week came on Sunday (Sept. 17) when UW-Milwaukee blanked tenth-ranked University of Missouri 1-0, giving UWM its first triumph over a ranked foe since 1998.
The junior's academic achievements include First-Team Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) last fall, along with Academic All-League recognition in 2005. A consistent member of the Dean's List at UWM, she carries a 3.874 grade-point average majoring in health sciences/psychology.
Zyga came off the bench to score the first goal of his collegiate career in Loyola's 2-0 victory over Western Michigan University on Sunday. The junior's second-half strike provided insurance as the Ramblers recorded their fourth consecutive triumph and improved to 5-3-0 on the season. He has helped the Ramblers post three consecutive shutouts during the winning streak, holding opponents scoreless for more than 294 minutes of play.
In the classroom, Zyga owns a 3.85 GPA as a business major. He was named to the Horizon League's Academic Honor Roll last fall.
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:
Kwaku Gyimah, Wright State (soccer, junior, 3.495, biological sciences) scored his first collegiate goal, giving WSU a 1-0 lead on the way to a 4-1 victory over Bowling Green State University on Sunday. A two-time member of the League's Academic Honor Roll, he is one of four players to have started all seven matches for the Raiders, who are ranked ninth in the Great Lakes Region.
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:
Angie Muir, Butler (soccer, sophomore, 3.956, secondary education) scored a pair of goals in the Bulldogs' 4-1 win over Eastern Kentucky University on Sunday, and also tallied the only BU marker versus Ball State University on Thursday. She currently leads the team with four goals and eight points this season.
Jenni Ramminger, Cleveland State (volleyball, sophomore, 3.54, communications) hit .531 in two victories last weekend, collecting 18 kills with only one error in 32 attempts. She had 12 kills in a three-game sweep at the University of Toledo, and also averaged 1.67 digs and 1.33 blocks per game as the Vikings extended their winning streak to eight matches.
Mary Parker, Detroit (soccer, senior, 3.793, chemistry/pre-med) scored a goal and added an assist on the match-winning goal as the Titans defeated in-state opponent Saginaw Valley State University on Sunday. The two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection also moved into sixth place on the school's all-time scoring list with 75 career points.
Emily Peick, Loyola (soccer, senior, 3.56, psychology) posted her fourth victory over the year with four saves in the Ramblers' 2-0 victory over IPFW last Friday. In the process, she became Loyola's all-time leader with 15.5 career shutouts, eclipsing the mark set by Erica Pedini (15, from 1999-2002).
Tara Geegan, Wright State (volleyball, junior, 4.00, early childhood education) was named to her third consecutive all-tournament team at the Pepsi Raider Challenge, earning Most Valuable Player honors after leading the Raiders to the tourney title. She led WSU with a .402 hitting percentage in victories over the University of Akron and West Virginia University, posting a career-high 18 kills in three games versus WVU.
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)
