Valparaiso Basketball Players Sweep Scholar-Athlete Awards

Dec. 18, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS -

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Valparaiso University sophomore Samuel Haanpää (men's basketball) and junior Leah Hochstetler (women's basketball) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Dec. 18).

Haanpää started out the week with a game-high 20-points in Valpo's win over Evansville on Tuesday (Dec. 11), and followed that up by setting a new Valpo single-game record with 10 three-pointers on just 12 attempts in Saturday's (Dec. 15) 90-61 victory over Chicago State. He scored a career-best 32 points against the Cougars, and is the first Crusader to break 30 points during the past two seasons.

Academically, Haanpää boasts a 3.79 grade-point average as a sports management major. He was also named to the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team as a freshman.

In Sunday's (Dec. 16) win over South Dakota State, Hochstetler hit a three-pointer with 48 seconds remaning and nailed two free throws with nine seconds left to secure the victory for Valpo. She totaled five points and one rebound in 11 minutes of play, and also added a steal in 14 minutes at Notre Dame on Wednesday (Dec. 12).

As a nursing major, Hochstetler carries a 3.87 grade-point average. She was a two-time member of the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team, as well as an honoree on the Mid-Con Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence. Hochstetler has also been a recipient of the Presidential Academic Student-Athlete award, and has been recognized on the Dean's List at Valpo.

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:

A.J. Graves, Butler (basketball, senior, 3.349, math) helped Butler to a championship in the John Wooden Tradition with a 79-68 win over Florida State on Saturday (Dec. 15), leading all scorers with 25 points. Graves also set a Wooden Tradition record by hitting seven three-point field goals as he started his 100th career game for the Bulldogs.

Aric Van Weelden, Loyola (basketball, sophomore, 3.54, undecided) matched a career-best effort with five points off the bench in Loyola's 76-72 overtime victory against Northern Illinois on Saturday. He also grabbed a personal-best five rebounds and handed out a career-best four assists without a turnover in 29 minutes against NIU. In his last two outings, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Kayla Groh, Green Bay (basketball, senior, 3.681, business administration) averaged 10 points in Green Bay's two games last week. She also led the Phoenix in scoring with 13 points against Wisconsin on Tuesday (Dec. 11).

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)