Springfield, Ohio - While the Wittenberg University athletic department can boast of football, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball team championships and numerous individual accomplishments in the 2001-02 school year, perhaps the greatest source of pride is created by the performance of Tiger athletes in the classroom. It has been nothing short of exceptional in many instances again this year.
For starters, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association has named three Wittenberg student-athletes Academic All-America for the 2001 season. Junior Emily Duh (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley), sophomore Barb Keselman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and freshman Jenny Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) were named to the national honor after earning a minimum grade point average of 3.30. Each was a starter on the 2001 North Coast Athletic Conference runner-up squad - the other key criteria to be nominated for Academic All-America.
In cross country, senior Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) continued her streak of award-winning excellence in 2001 as she made first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference for the first time in her collegiate career and then was honored as a United States Track Coaches Assocation (USTCA) Academic All-America student-athlete after the season. As the team's captain, she proved her leadership both on and off the course as the men's and women's cross country teams were USTCA all-academic teams for the second consecutive year in 2001.
Junior volleyball/women's basketball standout Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) earned the NCAC Student-Athlete Award. The NCAC volleyball Player of the Year for 2001 and a second-team All-NCAC choice in women's basketball, Keller also has an outstanding grade point average, earning her this award that is presented annually to Wittenberg student-athletes who perform with distinction both in the classroom and on the playing field.
Two Wittenberg students have been awarded academic scholarships from the local chapter of the National College Football Hall of Fame. Senior women's lacrosse standout Juliette Gordon (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and senior Eric Tomich (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) were awarded scholarships to be applied toward planned graduate studies at The Ohio State University in the future.
Finally, 12 Wittenberg student-athletes have been nominated for Chi Alpha Sigma, a National College Athlete Honor Society that recognizes student-athletes for their ability to excel in both academics and athletics. Nominees must have at least a 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, have earned at least one varsity letter, and have achieved junior or senior grade status.
Wittenberg's 2002 Chi Alpha Sigma nominees are senior Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Mentor Lake Catholic), junior Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Keller of the women's basketball team; senior Josh McCoy (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) of the football team; juniors Josh Conley (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) and Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) of the men's tennis team; Duh of the field hockey team; junior Brittany Baume (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), Shelli Habegger (Curtice, Ohio/Oregon Clay) and Keller of the volleyball team; junior Josh Hains (Granger, Ind./Clay) of the men's soccer team; senior Rachel Juergens (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) of the women's swimming team; and junior Steve Spittle (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) of the golf team.
"Congratulations are in order to all of these fine student-athletes," said Wittenberg associate athletic director Pam Smith. "Our student-athletes work hard on the athletic fields and in the classroom. This society and these national awards recognize their high academic and athletic achievements. Their commitment to excellence is a quality that will benefit them for a lifetime."
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