INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is pleased to announce its selection of the Scholar Athletes of the Year for the 2003-04 winter and spring sports seasons! The Conference selects one student-athlete in each conference sport to be designated the GLVC Scholar Athlete of the Year. This award is based upon academic excellence, academic performance, and athletic accomplishments in the season upon which the award is based. Each conference member has the opportunity to nominate one individual from its team for the award. Nominees must have a cumulative grade point average which meets the Academic All-American standards, and freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible for the award.
The award winners for the 2003-04 winter and spring sports are:
Men’s Basketball: MIKE KELSEY (NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY)
Kelsey is a junior guard from Cincinnati, OH majoring in management. He holds a 3.416 cumulative GPA and had a 3.538 GPA during the spring 2004 semester. As a team, the Norse finished the 2003-04 season with a 16-15 overall record while going 9-11 in conference play to finish 7th in the GLVC. Kelsey helped NKU to a conference tournament championship and a 25-6 overall record in 2002-03. The Norse were 16-4 in the GLVC and made an NCAA Great Lakes Regional Tournament appearance. Individually, Kelsey was named to the GLVC All-Conference second team and the Daktronics All-Region Second Team. He started 27 of 28 games, averaging 36 minutes per game. Kelsey led the team in points per game (16.9), 3-point field goal percentage (.411), and free throw percentage (80%). During the 2002-03 season, Kelsey earned Honorable Mention status for the GLVC All-Conference team after starting all 31 games, playing a team-high average of 35.9 minutes per game. He led the team in free throw percentage (.853) and was second in points per game (14.5 pts). Academically, Kelsey was named to the FirStar Bank/NKU All-Academic Team in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 and to the GLVC All-Academic Team in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He earned Dean’s List honors (3.66 to 3.99 GPA) in the fall semesters of both 2000 and 2003. Kelsey was appointed by NKU President Dr. James Votruba as the male student-athlete on the Norse’s athletics advisory board and is in his third year as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He attended the GLVC Leadership Workshop in 2002 and 2004 and has worked summer youth basketball camps. Kelsey has volunteered at the WCET (public TV) Action Auction, the Juvenile diabetes walk, and the NKU Athletics Golf Outing.
Women’s Basketball: TRACY BUCHHOLZ (LEWIS UNIVERSITY)
Buchholz, a senior guard from Grand Ledge, MI, majored in business administration with a sport management minor. During her four-year academic career, she was named to the Deans' List every semester and held a 3.78 cumulative GPA, earning a 3.85 GPA in the spring 2004 semester. Buchholz earned Lewis' Delahanty Award for Academic Excellence among student athletes four times and was named Academic All-GLVC four times as well. She ranked seventh in the nation and third in the GLVC in 3-point field goal percentage (43.7%), and 26th nationally and second in the GLVC in 3-point field goals made during the 2003-04 season. Buchholz started 14 of 28 games in 2003-04 and served as the “sixth man” when she didn't start. She averaged a career high 10.7 points per games and also made a career high 70 3-pointers. Buchholz was 34-of-40 (85.0%) from the free throw line and ranks second all-time at Lewis in free throw percentage, while also earning 17th place on the school's all-time scoring list. As a team, the Flyers were 16-12 overall (13-7 GLVC) in 2003-04 and placed fourth in the GLVC regular season standings after initially being picked to finish ninth in the coaches preseason poll. The team qualified for the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2000-01and improved its record from the previous season (9-18/5-15 GLVC) by seven overall victories and eight GLVC wins.
Baseball: LOGAN HUGHES (UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS)
Hughes was a senior education major from Walnut Shade, MO. He held a cumulative GPA of 3.83 and earned a spring 2004 GPA of 3.75. As a team, the Rivermen went 30-23-1 in 2004, with a record of 23-13 in GLVC. They finished second in the GLVC Championship Tournament and placed third in the GLVC regular season standings. Hughes was named the Co-Recipient of the GLVC Richard F. Scharf Paragon Award for the 2003-04 school year and was selected as a First Team Academic All-District Selection for the 2004 season, earning him a spot on the Academic All-American ballot. He was named the 2003 GLVC Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year and was a two-time GLVC Academic All-Conference selection. In the 2004 season, Hughes was named a GLVC Second Team All-Conference Selection and was a Second Team North Central All-Region selection as a third baseman. His batting average of .345 on the season was third best on the team and 17th best in the GLVC. He played and started in all 54 games on the season while leading the team with 56 RBIs, tying the school single season record that he set last year. He was second in the GLVC in RBIs and led the team with 70 hits and six homers on the season. Hughes assisted with game operations and game management during home athletic events for both fall and winter sports. He also worked for the athletic department in the equipment room, handling laundry and distribution of athletic equipment and uniforms for all UMSL athletic teams.
Men’s Golf: RYAN MCKINNEY (UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS)
McKinney, a junior from Jamestown, IN, is a computer science major with a 3.882 cumulative GPA. His 2003-04 semester GPA’s were 4.00 and 3.90 respectively. As a team, the Greyhounds finished 67-79-2, earning 4th place in GLVC. Individually, McKinney averaged 81.00 over 8 rounds with a low of 76 and was the #6 player for the Hounds. He is a three-time Academic All-GLVC performer and three-year letterman. He shot a season-low of 76 at the Saint Joseph's Invitational to tie for 22nd in a field of 72 competitors. He fired an 80 at UIndy Invitational to tie for 34th among 73 players. McKinney averaged 83.60 over five rounds in 2002-03 for the Greyhound team that competed in the NCAA II Regional. He was the #5 man for NCAA Regional squad in 2001-02, averaging 81.86. McKinney is a member of the Alpha Epsilon honorary and has earned Dean's List honors each of the past five semesters. He has earned a 4.0 GPA twice and was named to the Semester Honor Roll once.
Softball: JENNY ESKER (SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE)
Esker, a native of Steeleville, IL, was a senior physics major with a mathematics minor. She earned a 3.992 cumulative GPA and had a 4.0 GPA during the spring 2004 semester. As a team, the Cougars went 35-19 and advanced to the NCAA Regional tournament for the fifth straight year. Esker led team in batting average (.361), runs (39), triples (3), home runs (8), RBI (35) and walks (26). She is SIUE's all-time leader in batting average (.396) and runs (164) and is second on the all-time list in hits (231), home runs (29), doubles (56) and stolen bases (86). Esker was named First-team All-American in 2003 and was a three-time All-GLVC and All-Region selection. She was named the conference Player of the Year in 2003 and was the GLVC’s Paragon Award winner in 2004. Esker was named the GLVC Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2003 and has earned Dean’s List honors eight semesters in a row. She was named to the Academic All-GLVC team every year was and was recognized in Who’s Among College Students. Esker earned the status of All-American Scholar by the U.S. Achievement Academy in 2002, 2003, and 2004 and received the Outstanding Physics Student Award in 2003 and 2004. She was the recipient of the Underclassman Physics Award for Excellence in Physics in 2002, the 2003 SIUE Phi Kappa Phi Undergraduate Paper Competition First Place Winner, and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma (National College Athletic Honors Society) in 2003. Esker was named to the Verizon/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American in 2003 and Second Team in 2002, and was the 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American Player of the Year. She was also named the Academic All-American of the Year for softball in the College Division (Div. II, III and NAIA)
Men’s Tennis: AMINE BENJELLOUN (NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY)
Benjelloun was a senior accounting major from Kenitra, Morocco with a 3.831 cumulative GPA and 3.4 spring semester GPA. He was the #1 singles/#1 doubles player for the Norse team that won the 2004 GLVC conference championship. The team made a NCAA Regional appearance and finished with a 19-5 overall record and a first place 8-0 GLVC record. NKU has won 24 consecutive matches against GLVC opponents, and was ranked 37th nationally in the NCAA Division II. During the 2003 season, the Norse were GLVC conference champions and made a NCAA regional tournament appearance, finishing with a 22-6 overall record, and 8-0 conference record. Individually, Benjelloun was 13- 7 in singles and 14- 6 in doubles during the 2004 season. He was named the GLVC Co-Player of the Year and was voted to the GLVC All-Conference team. In 2003, he went 21-4 in singles and 20-7 in doubles to earn GLVC All-Conference status. Benjelloun was named the GLVC Player of the Year in 2002 and was a member of the GLVC All-Conference team. Academically, he was the 2003 GLVC Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was a member of the FirStar/NKU All-Academic team in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Benjelloun earned Dean’s List honors (3.66 to 3.99) in the fall of 2002 and 2003 and the spring of 2003. He was on the Honors List (4.0 GPA) in the fall of 2001 and 2003 and the spring of 2002. He was named GLVC All-Academic in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Benjelloun attended the NCAA Division II Leadership Workshop in February 2003 and helped with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) 2004 Kids Night Out.
Men’s Track and Field: STEPHEN BAASE (UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS)
Baase, a native of Indianapolis, was a senior pole vaulter and computer information systems major. He earned a 3.396 cumulative GPA and had 2003-04 Semester GPA's of 3.50 and 3.79 respectively. Baase was the 2004 GLVC Outdoor champion in the pole vault (15'5), defeating three nationally-ranked vaulters from Lewis University. He was the 2004 Indiana Little State pole vault champion (15'0) and won the 2004 Jerry England Invitational pole vault event to help the Greyhounds earn team titles at each meet. The Hounds were ranked 13th in the NCAA II Track & Field Power Rankings and finished second at the 2004 GLVC Outdoor meet. Baase finished third in 2003 GLVC Outdoor Meet (15'6 1/4), helping the team to a second straight conference title. He also won the 2003 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Twilight meet with a 15'6 1/4 leap, was second at the 2001 GLVC Outdoor meet, and tied for second at the 2001 GLVC Indoor (15'0). Baase was a two-time Dean's List member and was named to the Semester Honor Roll four times. He was named Academic All-GLVC twice and graduated from UIndy on May 1.
Women’s Track and Field: HEATHER COOKSEY (UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA)
Cooksey is a sophomore business administration major from Brownsburg, IN. She holds a 3.638 cumulative GPA and earned a spring 2004 GPA of 3.375. The Screaming Eagles finished fourth at the 2004 GLVC Indoor meet and sixth at the Outdoor meet. Cooksey was victorious in the 3000m run and finished 2nd in the 5000m run at the NCAA II Outdoor National Championships this spring. She earned All-America honors during the indoor season after finishing third in the indoor mile at the NCAA II Indoor Championships. Cooksey won two GLVC titles (800m/mile) during the GLVC Indoor Championships and posted NCAA II provisional qualifying times in four events during the outdoor season (800m/1,500m/3,000m/5,000m). She won the GLVC Outdoor Championship in the 3,000 meters with an NCAA II Automatic Qualifying time of 9:33.71and ranked first in the nation in the 3,000 meters, sixth in the 5,000 meters, seventh in the 1,500 meters, and 23rd in the 800 meters during the outdoor season. She was named the Indiana Intercollegiate Little State Female Athlete of the Year and earned All-GLVC honors in the indoor 800 meters, the indoor mile, and the outdoor 3,000 meters. Cooksey has won 13 of the 15 individual events she has competed in during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons and is a three-time All-American in track. She has set eight school records in two seasons of indoor and outdoor track and field and was named the GLVC “Freshman of the Year” in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Cooksey is a six-time GLVC champion in track and field and was a member of USI’s GLVC championship cross country team. She is an eight-time All-GLVC performer in cross country and track and field, earned All-Region honors in cross country, and is a two-time Academic All-GLVC performer.