Bowling Green State University Athletics
Student-Athletes Recognized At Academic Honors Banquet
April 17, 2002 | General
April 17, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
(NOTE: The following story is courtesy of the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune)
By JACK CARLE
Sentinel Sports Editor
The short-term view for collegiate student-athletes is wins and losses on the playing field.
The long-term success is receiving a degree while undertaking the challenge of becoming a better person during their collegiate career.
For 87 Bowling Green State University students -- athletes, trainers and a cheerleader -- the long-term was recognized Sunday evening (April 14) at the athletic department's annual academic honors banquet.
"Bowling Green does a nice job with their students," said Dr. Darren Hamilton, the assistant athletic director for student-athlete services. "They try to make this a large university with an intimate appeal.
"These are our best and our brightest."
Tony Malik, a men's soccer player, and Andrea Genter, a softball player, were honored as the senior scholar-athletes of the year. Malik, who has a 3.79 grade-point-average in marketing, was the top male junior scholar-athlete last year.
Genter, a junior women's finalist last year, has a 3.97 grade-point-average in early childhood education.
"When you get the junior, it's kind of hard to get the senior," Malik said. "I'm so happy to get this award.
"Sometimes you think you put in so many hours and nothing comes out of it," he continued. "It's nice to get recognized."
Genter was traveling with the softball team and was unable to attend the banquet.
Nicolas Lopez-Acevedo, men's tennis, and Christy Paine, women's track and field, were the Falcon Club junior scholar-athlete winners.
Of the 87 students honored, 17 have a 4.00 grade-point-average. BG won the Mid-American Conference award for best grade-point-average with a 3.19, up from 2.94 last season.
"It says all the coaches are dedicated to not only on the field, but off the field and they stress that with progress reports and making sure people are going to class. It all reflects back on the coaches," said Malik, who is interviewing for an advertising or marketing position in Chicago.
Holly Frantz, an Otsego High School graduate, was one of the senior female nominees. She has a 3.87 grade-point-average in sport management. Frantz plans to attend graduate school at BG next year and be a graduate assistant with strength and conditioning coach Aaron Hillmann.
The other senior female nominees were: Shannon Smith, golf, with a 3.65 grade-point-average in sport management, and Melinda Untch, gymnastics, with a 3.76 grade-point-average in biology.
The other senior male nominees were: Eric Brandle, track, 3.93 in film studies, and Kevin Wisniewski, soccer, 3.85 in marketing.
Each of the seven senior nominees were featured in a separate video presentation.
Two football players, Andre Davis who has a 3.84 grade-point-average in accounting and Craig Jarrett who has a 4.00 in chemistry, were the other junior male nominees. Shelley Binzel, golf, who has a 3.81 grade-point-average in marketing and Megan Jerome, basketball, who has a 4.00 grade-point-average in finance-economics, were the other two junior female nominees.
There were also three team awards presented for academic success.
The women's golf team, coached by Kurt Thomas, won the small team award, for teams with 20 or fewer members, for the best grade-point average with a 3.63 gpa.
The women's track and field team, coached by Scott Sehmann, won the large team award, for 20 or more team members, for best grade-point average with a 3.22 gpa.
Both women's golf and women's track and field are repeat winners of the team awards.
The men's cross country team, coached by Sterling Martin, won the most improved grade-point average award, improving to a 3.27 grade-point-average.
In addition to Frantz, two other Wood County athletes were recognized -- Burke Badenhop, from Perrysburg High School, a baseball player with a 4.00 grade-point-average as an undecided major, and Cyndi Bostdorff, from Eastwood High School, a member of the women's track and cross country teams, with a 3.58 grade-point-average as an undecided major.
Peg Crow, an assistant to the registrar, received the distinguished service award for her help with student-athletes.
Sid Sink, the assistant athletic director for compliance and certification at Bowling Green, received the distinguished alumni award. Sink was a 10-time All-America selection in track and cross country runner, including winning the NCAA 3,000-meter steeplechase in 1970 and 1971, during his athletic career at BG.
