June 25, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- The Mountain West Conference named 108 University of New Mexico student-athletes as 2008-09 Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athletes on Wednesday. The Lobos recorded the second-most honorees among the nine MWC members.
A record number 548 student-athletes from all sports, even non-MWC sports, received the honor. The MWC Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest academic honor bestowed by the Conference. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least two academic terms at the member institution, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better, and have participated in varsity competition in an NCAA-sponsored sport.
Thirteen Lobos honored are maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 or better - women's basketball players Amanda Best and Lauren Taylor, men's golfer Jon Sauer, skier Tor-Hakon Hellebostad, men's soccer player Simon Ejdemyr, women's soccer players Alexis Ball, Jael Fanning and Veronika Strnadova, women's swimmers Maria Dudley and Nanette Wittenberg, men's track & field athlete Chad Clark, and women's track & field athletes Hagit Salamon and Vanessa Strobbe. Only 21 other student-athletes in the league hold a 4.0 or higher cumulative grade point average.
Eight seniors earned the honor for the fourth time in their UNM careers - Zach Arnett (football), Casey Dyck (skiing), Rick Grahn (skiing), Chris Wright (men's soccer), Katrina McLoughlin (women's swimming & diving), Whitney Johnson (women's track & field), Hagit Salamon (women's track & field) and Vanessa Strobbe (women's track & field).
2008-09 UNM Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete Award Honorees
* = repeat honoree
Baseball
Joey Castleman - Jr., University Studies
* Clinton Cox - Sr., Chemistry
* Daniel Grubbs - Sr., Business Administration
Men's Basketball
Chris Johansen - Fr., Business Administration
Women's Basketball
** Amy Beggin - Jr., Communication & Journalism
* Amanda Best - So., Biology
Nikki Nelson - Fr., Biology
Lauren Taylor - Fr., Undeclared
Women's Cross Country
Nicky Archer - Jr., Physical Education
* Carolyn Boosey - Sr., Physical Education
* Michelle Corrigan - Sr., Economics
Ashley Gibson - Jr., Physical Education
* Leslie Luna - Sr., Exercise Science
Lacey Oeding - Fr., Nutrition/Dietetics
Emma Reed - So., Geography
Football
*** Zach Arnett - Sr., History
Jake Bowe - Sr., Business Administration
Cody Neely - So., Business Administration
* Mitch Straub - Sr., Business Administration
Mica Williams - R-Fr., Business Administration
Men's Golf
Nick Geyer - Sr., Communication & Journalism
Shane McDonald - Fr., Communication & Journalism
* Jon Sauer - Sr., Business Administration
Ryan Smith - Fr., Undeclared
Women's Golf
* Mikaela Backstedt - Sr., Business Administration
Jodi Ewart - Jr., Psychology
Rebecca Hellbom - Fr., Undeclared
Men's Skiing
Petter Brenna - Fr., Undeclared
*** Casey Dyck - Sr., Mechanical Engineering
*** Rick Grahn - Sr., Civil Engineering
* Tor-Hakon Hellebostad - Jr., University Studies
** Olivier Lacaille - Jr., Business Administration/Finance
Thomas Schwab - So., Undeclared
Women's Skiing
Jacqueline Hangl - Fr., Undeclared
Ingrid Leask - Fr., Undeclared
Svenja Niemeier - Fr., Undeclared
Karin Ohlin - Sr., Business Administration/International Management
Estelle Pecherand-Charmet - Jr., University Studies
* Melanie Zemp - Sr., Business Administration/International Management
Men's Soccer
** Simon Ejdemyr - Jr., Political Science
* Andrew Parsons - Jr., Biochemistry
Lance Rozeboom - Fr., Undeclared
Gary Weisbaum - Fr., Undeclared
*** Chris Wright - Sr., Biology/Portuguese
Women's Soccer
* Alexis Ball - So., Undeclared
Megan Bodenheimer - Jr., Communications & Journalism
Amanda Collins - Fr., Undeclared
Kelli Cornell - Fr., Undeclared
Jael Fanning - Fr., Undeclared
Roxie McFarland - Fr., Undeclared
* Katie McKernan - So., Political Science
Jess Quador - Jr., Mass Communication
** Veronika Strnadova - Jr., Mathematics
Kate Wyrick - Fr., University Studies
Softball
** Katie Gilmore - Jr., Elementary Education
Jessica Lujan-Dresslar - Fr., Undeclared
Women's Swimming & Diving
Jocelyn Colella - Fr., Undeclared
Maria Dudley - Fr., Undeclared
Nicole Esquibel - Fr., Undeclared
Asala Halag - Fr., Undeclared
Alexandra Lusk - Jr., Psychology
Tesse Maciejko - Fr., Undeclared
*** Katrina McLoughlin - Sr., Exercise Science
* Bridget O'Hara - Jr., English/Spanish
** Jennifer Patterson - Jr., Nursing
Nicole Peirce - Fr., Undeclared
Erica Stuart - Fr., Undeclared
* Nanette Wittenberg - So., Business Administration
Women's Tennis
Ola Abou-Zekry - Sr., Economics/Psychology
Eliane Bourdages - Fr., Undeclared
Manumea Durie - Fr., Undeclared
* Emma Hayman - So., Business Administration
** Maria Sotirchos - Sr., Psychology
* Victoria Tessmar - So., Business Administration
** Mackenzie White - Sr., Nutrition/Dietetics
Men's Track & Field
David Bishop - Jr., Sports Administration
Chad Clark - Fr., Undeclared
Rory Fraser - Jr., Sports Administration
** Kyle Henry - Jr., Biology
* Jason Petty - So., Mechanical Engineering
Allen Pittman - Fr., Undeclared
Wes Ross - Fr., Electrical Computer Engineering
Thomas Trujillo - Fr., Undeclared
* Kyle Walker - So., Business Administration/Organizational Management
** Alex Willis - So., Architecture
Women's Track & Field
Nicky Archer - Jr., Physical Education
Carolyn Boosey - Sr., Physical Education
Laura Bowerman - Sr., Physical Education
** Ariel Burr - Sr., Psychology
Michelle Corrigan - Sr., Economics
Alex Darling - Fr., Psychology
Ashley Gibson - Jr., Physical Education
*** Whitney Johnson - Sr., Psychology
Rachel Kelchner - Fr., Undeclared
Sara Lee - Fr., Art Studio
Leslie Luna - Sr., Exercise Science
** Aditi Majumdar - Jr., Exercise Science
Amber Menke - Fr., Undeclared
Emma Reed - So., Geography
*** Hagit Salamon - Sr., Biology
* Asal Salehpoor - So., Nursing
** Brittany Smith - Sr., Business Administration
*** Vanessa Strobbe - Sr., Journalism/Mass Communication
* Tami Williams - So., Psychology and Family Studies
Volleyball
* Jade Michaelsen - So., Business Administration
** Allie Suiter - Jr., Exercise Science
Kelly Williamson - Fr., Undeclared
Amy Wong - Fr., Business Administration
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