Hoekstra Earns BGSU's Female Junior Scholar-Athlete Award at Annual Honors Night

Bowling Green State University women's basketball standout Deborah Hoekstra earned a prestigious honor Monday night (April 21). Hoekstra was the female recipient of BGSU's Junior Scholar-Athlete Award, which was announced at the BGSU Department of Athletics' annual Athletics Honors Night at the Stroh Center.

Hoekstra, a native of East Lansing, Mich., was chosen from a group of three finalists, all of whom have a perfect cumulative grade-point average of 4.00.

A member of the National Student-Athlete Honor Society, Hoekstra is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Health Sciences, with a minor in Business. She has made the Dean's List in every semester at the University, and was an Academic All-Mid-American Conference honorable-mention selection in 2013 (note: the 2014 Academic All-MAC Team has not yet been announced).

On the court, Hoekstra blossomed into one of the league's top sixth players in 2013-14. She played in all 35 games off the bench, averaging 6.9 points per game. Hoekstra made 41 three-point field goals, the third-highest total on the team, and shot 36.3% from beyond the arc to rank seventh in the MAC in three-point field-goal pct. BGSU's first substitution into the game in 31 of the season's 35 contests, Hoekstra scored in double figures 10 times.

In MAC games only, Hoekstra averaged 7.3 ppg and went 24-of-72 (33.3%) from long range. She was named BGSU's Player of the Game in the Falcons' win over Monmouth at the Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge in Springfield, Mass. (Dec. 1), part of a stretch in which she broke or tied her career scoring high in each of three consecutive games. After posting career totals of 83 points, 13 three-point field goals made, 16 assists and 10 steals over her first two years, Hoekstra had 243 points, 41 successful three-pointers, 35 assists and 27 steals in 2013-14.

At the BGSU women's basketball team's end-of-season banquet last weekend (April 13), Hoekstra was named the Most Improved Player, and also was a co-recipient of the team's Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year award.

"Deborah has a great work ethic that is contagious, and I believe she will become a leader of our team," said BGSU head coach Jennifer Roos. "She was the spark off the bench that we needed to go 17-1 in conference and win the championship.

"Deborah is a dedicated athlete who will work hard to make sure she achieves her goals, and we look forward to her senior year with us."

Hoekstra serves as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative, volunteers her time working with children and has already secured a job for this summer as a therapy aide.

More than 400 student-athletes, parents, staff and community members were in attendance at Monday's Athletics Honors Night event. Mike Wilcox, the Chairman and CEO of Wilcox Financial and Wilcox Sports Management, was the keynote speaker and winner of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Wilcox is a former hockey player and lacrosse star at BGSU.

Men's soccer player Brandon Silva and tennis player Nikki Chiricosta earned the Falcon Medal of Honor, the highest award given by the department. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who embody the essence of the qualities BGSU Athletics holds important for all student-athletes -- scholarship, athletics, leadership and service.

Football player BooBoo Gates and track and field thrower Brooke Pleger earned the Male and Female Athlete of the Year award. Baseball player Cody Apthorpe and volleyball player Lindsey Butterfield were named the Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year, while Hoekstra and football player Chris Pohlman earned the Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.

The BGSU men's cross country team was named the male highest GPA award and the women's golf team earned the female honor. Finally, Elizabeth LeMaster, the athletics department's liaison in financial aid, was named the Distinguished Service award winner.

BGSU's student-athletes combined for a school-record 3.15 cumulative grade point average through the fall of 2013 and 252 student-athletes posted a GPA of 3.0 or higher. In fact, 31 student-athletes -- including Hoekstra -- have a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

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