Wright State's Burleson, UW-Milwaukee's Saarinen named League Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Feb. 13, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Wright State University senior Drew Burleson (men's basketball) and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore Jenni Saarinen (women's indoor track and field) have been named theHorizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Feb. 13).

Burleson led the Raiders to a 3-0 record in League play, including a 77-65 victory over tenth-ranked Butler University on Saturday (Feb. 10). He posted a double-double with 16 points and ten rebounds in that game and also scored in double figures versus UW-Milwaukee on Monday (Feb. 5) and the University of Illinois at Chicago on Wednesday (Feb. 7). He shot 64 percent (14-of-22) from the field and 93 percent (13-of-14) at the free-throw line during the week, averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game.

In the classroom, Burleson carries a 3.237 grade-point average as a communications studies major. He has received High Honors---recognizing students with term GPAs of 3.50 or higher---twice and Honors---for marks between 3.25 and 3.49---twice.

Saarinen broke her own school record in the pentathlon at the Iowa State University Cyclone Classic last weekend, earning a total of 3,688 in the five events to finish second among meet competitors. She eclipsed her standard of 3,459 set as last year's League Championships, while the recent score is 270 better than any other League representative this year and only 12 points short of the NCAA Championships provisional score of 3,700. She also jumped 18 feet, six inches in the long jump for the eighth-best mark in school annals.

In the classroom, Saarinen boasts a 3.808 grade-point average as an elementary education major. She was named to the Dean's List last fall and is a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.

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:

Rob West, Cleveland State (tennis, sophomore, 3.66, psychology) won all three of his singles matches and two doubles contests over the weekend, helping the Vikings improve to 8-1 in dual meets for the season. He clinched the winning point in a 4-3 victory over Xavier University on Sunday (Feb. 11) and is now 13-3 in singles matches this year.

Tom Levin, Loyola (basketball, junior, 3.63, economics) scored a season-high ten points and collected four rebounds in a 69-52 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday (Feb. 10). Levin's point total was his highest since he tallied ten points against the University of San Diego on Dec. 20, 2005.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Jackie Closser, Butler (basketball, senior, 3.616, elementary education) averaged 14 points in two contests last weekend, including a17-point performance against the University of Illinois at Chicago which included four three-pointers and four rebounds on Saturday. Her streak of 51 consecutive games with a trey is the longest active run in the nation.

Christine Vogelgesang, Cleveland State (tennis, junior, 3.76, communications) split two singles matches and two doubles contests over the weekend. She posted a three-set victory in the Vikings' dual meet versus Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne and was victorious in doubles play against IU-PU-Indianapolis.

Jenna Real, Loyola (basketball, senior, 3.56, visual communications) averaged 17 points, seven rebounds plus 2.5 assists in two games last week. She had a team-high 21 points and nine boards in Thursday's (Feb. 8) loss to Butler University, and tallied 13 point while pulling down five rebounds against Wright State University on Saturday (Feb. 10).

Bethany Anderson, Youngstown State (indoor track and field, junior, 3.35, health/pre-med) broke her own school record in the weight throw with a toss of 60 feet, 10 inches at the All-Ohio Championships. That distance was more than three and a half feet better than the next-best finisher, and eight feet better than any other League competitor this season. She also finished seventh in the shot put at the event.

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)

MULTIPLE-AWARD WINNERS
5 - Bjorn Schantz, Cleveland State
3 - Genni Gardner, Butler
3 - Mary Parker, Detroit
3 - Jenna Real, Loyola
2 - Whitney Lewis, Wright State
2 - Robby Leibold, UW-Milwaukee
2 - Mike Schachtner, UW-Green Bay
2 - Kent Wories, Butler
2 - Markian Zyga, Loyola