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