- About C-USA
- About C-USA
- Commissioner
- Member Schools
- Staff Directory
- Corporate Sponsors
- C-USA in the Community
- Competitive Highlights
- Composite Calendar
- Location/Directions
- Record Book
- Sportsmanship
- Sports Formats
-
- Sports
-
- Schools
-
- Fan HQ
- C-USA Video Center
- C-USA Network Vault
- Destination C-USA
- Podcast Channel
- Radio/TV Outlets
- Site Map
- Sport Formats
- We Play For You
- Tweetest Fan Contest
-
- Media Center
-
- Archive
-
|
C-USA Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day
C-USA NGWSD Profiles
Charlotte Abrahamsen, Memphis
Former Student-Athletes
C-USA School Honorees
As a freshman, Abrahamsen became the University of Memphis' third NCAA All-American track & field athlete in the pentathlon. Abrahamsen participated in all of the Tigers' nine meets and competed in each of the events of the pentathlon during the 2008 indoor track and field season. At the 2008 C-USA Indoor Championships, she set personal best records in the shot put with a toss of 15.16m (49-09.00) and while competing in the events of the pentathlon she set records in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.91 and the high jump with a height of 1.75m (5-08.75). She was crowned the champion of the pentathlon at the C-USA Championships with a C-USA meet record score of 4004. The freshman qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships and turned in an All-American school record performance in the pentathlon with a personal best final score of 4103. She also recorded pentathlon personal best records in the shot put with a 15.09m (49-06.25) mark, the long jump with a leap of 5.50m (18-00.50), and a personal best mark in the 800m run with a mark of 2:29.20. During the 2008 outdoor season she qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional and threw a 14.06m (46-01.50) shot put toss to place 26th. She has been a member of the Tiger 3.0 Club for one semester, she has been on the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, and she earned the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal during her first year as an athlete in 2008.
During her tenure at the University of Houston, senior Seun Adigun has emerged as one of the nation's elite hurdlers. A four-time Conference USA Champion, Adigun won her second-straight gold medal in the 60-meter hurdles last year at the C-USA Championships with a meet-record tying time of 8.28. After posting a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 C-USA Outdoor Championships, the Chicago, Ill., native qualified for the NCAA Championships after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional and advanced to the semifinals at the national championships after recording a personal-best time of 13.39 in the prelims. Adigun enters the 2008-09 indoor season ranked eighth in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles and looks to become the conference's first, three-time champion in the event. But Adigun's success has not been limited to the track, she is also an accomplished student-athlete. She has maintained an 3.06 cumulative GPA and has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in each of the last two years.
Alex Becker is the first three-time All-American in Tulsa school history. She earned All-America honors in 2007 after finishing seventh in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships, seventh in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and placing 15th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Becker currently owns seven school records and five Conference USA individual championships. The Guelph, Ontario, native was named the 2007 C-USA Female Athlete of the Year in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track. She also won the 2007 C-USA Cross Country Individual Championship and finished runner-up at the 2008 conference cross country championship. She has been named to the C-USA All-Academic team four times (twice in cross country, and twice in track and field), and earned first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI in 2007.
Fall 2008: Picked up her fourth career C-USA Golfer-of-the-Week award on Oct. 22 after claiming all-tournament honors at the 2008 Lady Pirate Intercollegiate ... Recorded four Top 4 finishes during the fall season, taking second at the UNCG-Starmount Fall Classic and the Landfall Tradition, tying for third at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate and fourth at the Chip-N Club Invitational ... Finished with a team-best 74.60 stroke average for the fall ... Four of 15 rounds were par of better (.267) ... Recorded two rounds of 68, which is tied for the third-lowest individual 18-hole score in school history ... For her career, Bools owns a 75.93 stroke average (third-best in school history) and has recorded 14 Top 10 finishes and 17 Top 20 placements. 2007-2008: Played in all 11 events for the Pirates ... Named Conference USA Player-of-the- Year marking the first time in school history a Pirate has taken home this honor ... Finished the season with a 74.77 stroke average sharing second place on ECU's single-season scoring list with team-mate Emelie Lind ... Recorded five top-5's, seven top-10's finishes and eight top-20 placements ... Named first-team All C-USA ... C-USA Golfer-of-the-Week twice (Sept. 26/ Feb. 20) ... Named to the 2008 C-USA All-Academic Golf Team ... Became the third Lady Pirate golfer to win two individual titles in the same year with her wins at the Myrtle Beach Classic and Qdoba Invitational, sharing that honor with Jessica Krasny (2002-03) and Adrienne Millican (2004-05) ... Eight-of-30 rounds were par or better (.267) ... Finished the season ranked 91st nationally by Golfweek after posting a 720-160-28 overall record ... Tied for 75th nationally by Golfstat ... Ranked among the national leaders in greens in regulation (fourth/.755) and par-3 scoring (sixth/3.07) ... Named to 2007- 08 NGCA Division I All-Scholar Team...Took home a share of the C-USA individual scoring title with team-mate Emelie Lind (74.77). 2006-2007: One of four golfers and two freshmen to participate in all 10 events ... Posted three Top 10 finishes and five Top 20 placements ... Best finish came at the Pirate Fall Invitational (t-6th) after carding a four-over par 220 (72-77-71) ... Also recorded a pair of seventh place finishes in the America's Choice Mortgage (78 75=153) and C-USA Championships (77-79-70=226) ... Finished tied for 12th at the Pinehurst Invitational (80- 74=154) and tied for 20th at the UNCW Lady Seahawk Invitational (70-78-83=231) ... Recorded four rounds of par or better with a career-low of 70 coming at the UNCW Lady Seahawk and C-USA Championships ... Finished the season with a 77.96 stroke average and a 234.7 tournament average ... Named C-USA Co-Golfer-of-the-Week Oct. 25, 2006 after recording her first career Top 10 finish (Pirate Fall Invitational) ... Earned third-team All C-USA honors ... Her two rounds of 70 rank as the 15th lowest rounds in school history ... Finished the season ranked 321st nationally by GolfWeek after posting a 481-266-19 record ... Named to 2006- 07 NGCA Division I All-Scholar Team.
Natalia Bubien is All-Conference USA on the court and in the classroom. Since stepping on SMU's campus as a freshman in 2005, the senior has earned three C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medals and has been named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll each season. Bubien also accrued All-Conference USA accolades for her athletic performances in singles and doubles play. Playing at the No. 1 singles and doubles spots for the Mustangs as a freshman, Bubien helped SMU reach a second place finish at C-USA Championships. Already exhibiting leadership qualities in her sophomore season, Bubien was selected as team captain for the Mustangs. In doubles, Bubien beat out a top 50 pair from Troy, earning C-USA Player of the Week honors. Bubien also worked her way into the SMU record book for eighth place in most season victories for doubles. Bubien's junior season performances catapulted her into the ITA-rankings as 73rd in the nation. In singles, Bubien cranked out a win against the then-ranked No. 38 player in the nation which earned C-USA Player of the Week. Bubien and her partner, Pavi Francis, worked their way to a No. 40 ranking in the country, beating the No. 1 doubles pair on March 24 and winning the last eight matches of the spring season. Bubien was named All-Conference USA in both singles and doubles, and selected as SMU's Singles Player of the Year.
Sheree Carter captured UCF's first individual outdoor event title by winning the 2008 Conference USA Outdoor Heptathlon championship. The impressive victory at the heptathlon helped the Knights to place third in the overall standings at the 2008 C-USA Outdoor Championship. The senior from Tallahassee, Fla., made a homecoming at the NCAA East Regionals by competing in the 100-meter hurdles. A hardworking student off the track, the education major knows the importance of balancing academics and athletics. An important part of her academics is assisting with teachers at local elementary schools becoming a mentor and tutor for the students. Carter also represents the UCF track team as the community service liaison organizing and participating in a community service projects benefiting people of all ages. The Ronald McDonald House and Relay for Life are some of the many organizations that Carter has worked with.
It has not been as easy road for senior pitcher Samantha Davis. She struggled through her first two seasons at Southern Miss battling injuries to what brought her here in the first place, her pitching arm. However, through hard work and perseverance, she put together a break-out season in 2008, doubling her win total over her previous two seasons while lowering her earned run average in the process. She earned second team All-Conference USA honors. Davis also has enjoyed success in the classroom as well, being the model student and maintaining one of the higher grade point averages on the team. The psychology major has been a mainstay on the Athletics Director Honor Roll and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The professed "tree hugger" is a psychology major with plans to become a sports or child psychologist. Some advice she would give to young people, "Don't give up on anything you love and can't imagine being without."
Thalia Diaz-Barriga enters her senior season ranked 10th all-time on the Tulsa career singles wins list with 62 victories. She is also No. 4 on the career doubles list with 71 wins and has a chance to reach the top spot held by Aleksandra Durska (1999-2003) who finished her career with 88 doubles victories. Diaz-Barriga has posted two 20-win seasons in both singles and doubles in her time at Tulsa, and has helped guide the Hurricane to two of its best seasons in school history with back-to-back Conference USA Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008. She earned first-team all-C-USA honors in 2008 and was named a C-USA All-Academic honoree in 2006.
As a freshman, setter Elizabeth Fleming helped propel the Thundering Herd to a 23-9 overall record in 2007 including a 15-1 mark in Conference USA by handing out 1,642 assists, Marshall single-season record. For her efforts, Fleming was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American, was an AVCA All-Midwest Region selection, was named Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, garnered four C-USA Player of the Week awards and also earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team in addition to being named C-USA Freshman of the Year. In 2008, Fleming again paced the Herd attack with 1,124 helpers, giving her a total of 2,766 assists for her career. That mark ranks her third on Marshall's career-assists list. Fleming finished her sophomore campaign with 10.70 assists per set which placed her third in the league while her 1,124 total assists was good enough for fourth among C-USA setters in 2008. Fleming was named a 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District II Second Team selection and also earned a spot on the C-USA All-Academic team.
Heppert was honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) with a spot on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Volleyball Second Team. Heppert became the first UCF volleyball player to garner Academic All-America honors and was the only Conference USA representative on any squad. The senior holds a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average and is expected to graduate in the spring with a degree in biology. Heppert has earned numerous accolades throughout her career for her performance on and off the court. The middle blocker was recently voted onto the Conference USA All-Academic Team for the second-straight year, while also garnering CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team honors for the second-consecutive season. Heppert has been a recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal for the past three years and has been nominated for the UCF Scholar-Athlete of the Year award twice, while also serving as co-president of the UCF Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Heppert's name has graced the UCF President's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester she has studied at UCF. On the court, Heppert played in 31 matches in 2008 and led the team in attack percentage (.323), block assists (93), total blocks (103), blocks per set (0.84), service aces (27) and service aces per set (0.22). The senior's attack percentage also ranked sixth among her C-USA peers. In four seasons with the Knights, Heppert ranks third all-time at UCF in total blocks (375) and block assists (319), while ranking fifth all-time in block solos (56) and eighth in service aces (139), aces per set (0.35) and sets played (402).
UTEP junior point guard Jareica Hughes has been one of the key cogs into turning the UTEP women's basketball program into a regionally and nationally-known unit. The 5-4 native of Detroit, Mich., has helped the Miners forgea a mark of 61-20 since arriving on campus, including the historic 2007-08 campaign in which they finished 28-4 and won the program's initial league title by going an unprecedented 16-0. Hughes has racked up some gaudy individual numbers in that time frame. She is already the only player in school history with more than 900 points, 350 assists, 275 rebounds and 200 steals. Hughes was the 2008 Conference USA Player of the Year and was a 2008-09 preseason Wooden Team selection.
UCF standout Breanne Javier has started 188-straight games at first base for the Knights over the past three seasons. The two-time All-Conference USA First Team selection has recorded 54 multi-hit games in her UCF career and sits in the top-10 in numerous program career categories. Last season, Javier led the Knights in seven offensive categories, with her 87 hits setting the program's single-season record, to help UCF capture its first Conference USA Championship title. Not only has Javier helped the Knights on the field, but she has also dedicated herself to working in the community. On numerous occasions she has visited children at the Central Florida Children's Home and the Central Florida Miracle League. During the season, these children are welcomed to the UCF Softball Complex to catch a game during buddy days to support Javier and the Knights. She has also shared her experiences at the College Color Days at Disney telling younger student-athletes the importance of focusing on academics and athletics.
Breanne has volunteered at the places below
Tara Kidwell etched her name prominently in the UAB soccer record book during her four years (2001-04) as a Blazer. She earned first-team All-Conference USA honors for three consecutive seasons and was tabbed honorable mention All-American as a senior. Kidwell holds multiple UAB career and single-season records, including those for goals and points. After completing her career at UAB, Kidwell has gone to play professionally in the United Soccer League W-League, most recently with the Northern Virginia Mystics in 2008. This past December, she was one of 144 players nationally to be invited to participate in the Women's Professional Soccer combine.
Three-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll and Rice's Scholar-Athlete for women's swimming... Won the team's Kathryn Scholl True Blue Spirit Award for the third year in a row as the Owl swimmer with the best enthusiasm and positive attitude at meets and during daily practice... Rice's first three-time recipient of the Scholl Award... Finished 12th in the 200-free (1:55.96) at the C-USA Championships... Student leader for the Rice Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle; featured in the Jan-Feb issue of Sharing the Victory (FCA national magazine)...
Petra Klosova is a three-time NCAA All-American at SMU, and has helped the Mustangs to three straight Conference-USA titles. She has also helped guide the Mustangs to two seventh place finishes at the NCAA Championships, as well as an 11th place finish. This past summer, Klosova competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for her country, the Czech Republic. In her senior season, Klosova has already provisionally-qualified for the NCAA Championships in three individual events (100 free, 100 and 200 back), and three relays (400 and 800 free relays, 200 medley relay). In Klosova's All-American freshman season, she was awarded Co-Swimmer of C-USA Championships having won gold in the 100 fly and 100 free, and competing on the record-breaking 200 and 400 medley relay title teams. Her sophomore year consisted of All-American acclamation, five C-USA first team selections, and C-USA Swimmer of the Meet honors for achieving meet and pool records with wins in the 100 and 200 free events. She was also a part of the 200 free, 800 free, and 200 medley relay championship teams, with the 800 free relay team posting meet and pool records. As a junior, Klosova earned All-American status in all five relays at NCAA Championships. She swam to C-USA titles in the 200 IM and 100 free, and competed on the 800 free relay team that set a new meet record. An exemplary role model for the SMU women's swim program, Klosova was honored with the team's Mustang award for performance, dedication, enthusiasm, and leadership. Klosova also earned a spot on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for her efforts in the classroom.
Triple major in economics, management, and Asian studies who has a 3.81 GPA and was named to the ESPN the Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District VI second team... Conference USA Libero of the Year and one of the nation's best... Has started and played in all 113 sets... Leads Rice and C-USA in digs per set (5.04)...Is the only C-USA player ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA in digs per set at 19th... Has reached double-digit digs in 39 of her last 40 matches...13 matches with 20+ digs... She has been selected as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week a league-high four times in 2008 and five times in her career... Leads Rice with 35 service aces (6th in C-USA)... Named as Best Libero at the Mizuno Invitational and all-tournament BGSU Invitational...Opponents only hit .169 vs. Rice, which ranks third-best in C-USA and the Owls average a league-high 17.49 digs per set... Has totaled 569 digs this, missing the school record by one.... Has 1,068 career digs... Season-high 39 digs vs. UAB.
As the lone senior, Rachel Larson looks to lead a young and talented University of Memphis Women's golf team. A native of Longmont, Colorado, Larson returns for her fourth season as a Lady Tiger golfer, having earned a letter each of the previous three years. A prep standout in Colorado, Larson won the Colorado Junior State Match Play Tournament in 2004 and was named to the 2004 Colorado Girls Junior America's Cup Team. She was also an all-conference and all-state selection for four years (2002-2005). In her senior year, she led the state with a scoring average of 76 and was a three time All-Colorado selection (2002, 2004, 2005). In her first year at Memphis, Larson was one of only two freshmen to compete in all four fall tournaments, posting a scoring average of 79.3 with two top-20 finishes. Larson returned for her sophomore year in 2006, posting rounds of 76-76 in the Baja Classic and earning a seventh place finish. She also turned in six top-20 finishes to lead the team. Last year, as a junior, Larson posted her lowest scoring average of 78 and had three top-20 finishes. This year Larson will anchor a young Tiger squad under first year head coach and M-Club hall of fame member, Beth Harrelson. Only two years removed from a Conference-USA title, Harrelson and Larson look to lead the program back to previous heights.
Sarah McFadden is one of several Northern Ireland soccer players to make a name for herself at Southern Miss. She has followed in the footsteps of the all-time greats like Stacey Hall, Gail Macklin, Claire Rae, Bronagh Gallagher and Kimberly Turner just to name a few. But what McFadden can lay claim to that none of her predecessors did was become the first Golden Eagle soccer player to be selected as a first team All-Conference USA player in the school's history. McFadden came to Hattiesburg from Magherfelt, Northern Ireland, where she has played internationally on that country's National team for the last four years. As a member of the Northern Ireland U-19 team from 2003-05, she traveled to Lithuania, Czech Republic and Switzerland to play in the European Championships. In 2007, she was a member of the Northern Ireland National Team that played in the 2007 Women's World Cup qualifying rounds. McFadden played in five of the team's six games. The team has already qualified to participate in the 2009 UEFA European Women's Championship. The team's captain is none other than our own, Stacey Hall.
--Member of UTEP's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
Natalie Mitchell saw only limited action in 2008 for the UAB softball team, her first season with the Blazers. While she is expected to see a heightened role with the team this spring, she certainly got in plenty of time off the field giving her efforts for a number of local community service and charity projects. Mitchell, a sophomore biology major from Pennsylvania, worked at the Ronald McDonald House, spent time at the Grace House, a ministry that provides homes for young girls, who have been abused, abandoned or neglected, and also participated in the "Knocking Cancer Out Of The Ballpark" event. In addition, Mitchell helped pain a local firehouse shelter and also was a volunteer judge at the Cathedral Christian School Science Fair.
The 1999 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, Moravcova dominated while at SMU, winning 10 individual NCAA titles during her Mustang career, the second-best total in NCAA history. Moravcova ended her SMU career a 25-time All-American, gaining 26 conference titles. She has competed in five Olympic Games, winning silver medals in the 200 free and 100 fly at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as a member of the Slovakian National team. Moravcova currently holds European records in one event (100 IM) and has collected 22 World Championship medals (seven titles) and 43 European Championship medals (22 golds). In her career she has broken a world record five times.
For the first time since 2004, the University of Memphis women's tennis team boasts a Conference USA All-Conference award winner in Ashley Murdock. The hometown product from from St. Agnes Academy in Memphis, looks to help lead the Memphis Lady Tigers to new heights during the 2008-09 season. Though she is originally from Memphis, Murdock didn't originally sign with the U of M to play tennis. The native Memphian made the trek to Baton Rouge, La., to compete for Head Coach Tony Minnis and his LSU Tigers. In her two years at LSU, Murdock was 12-10 in singles matches competing at the No. 5, No. 4 and No. 6 positions during her year-and-a-half in Baton Rouge. Murdock decided to make the move back to Memphis after LSU's Fall Season last year. In her first year at the U of M, she was second on the team in singles wins going 15-4 in dual matches in the Spring. Murdock was 9-4 while competing at the No. 1 position for Head Coach Lee Taylor Walker's Lady Tigers. So far this fall, the junior from Memphis has had some key wins in fall tournaments. She defeated Cami Hubbs of Ohio State at the William & Mary Invitational. Hubbs was 22-4 last season for the Buckeyes. Murdock had the chance to compete against some of the best women's tennis players in the country in Williamsburg. Murdock will compete at the No. 1 singles and doubles position in 2008-09. She will team with Marjorie Ondeck in doubles. Last the season the duo was 9-7 in dual competitions. Murdock teams with one senior, three juniors, one sophomore and one freshman, on a team that only lost one player from the 2007-08 squad. Look for her to be a key factor in the evolution of the Memphis women's tennis program in years to come.
Throughout her career, Murphy was one of the most consistent and dependable defenders on the Memphis roster. Since enrolling at Memphis as a freshman in 2005 she started in more contests than any other Lady Tiger. Murphy was selected as a team co-captain for both the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In her sophomore campaign, she earned 2006 Defender of the Year and was also named to the Lady Tiger All-Tournament Team. Her most impressive accomplishments at Memphis however have not been on the field, but as a student. Murphy maintains a 4.0 cumulative grade point average with her international business curriculum. For her outstanding academics as well as her play on the field, Murphy was named to the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America and District IV first team for her junior year. This was only the second time in Memphis history that a Tiger athlete has received this accolade. Murphy was selected to the C-USA All-Academic first team in 2008 and was an All-Academic team honoree for 2007 and an honorable mention All-C-USA Academic Team member in 2006.She was a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award and was awarded the C-USA spirit of service award in 2008. She played in all 22 games for the Lady Tigers starting in 17 while helping Memphis to a final 15-5-2 record and a second NCAA Tournament birth. She and her senior class go down as the winningest group of women's soccer players to take the field at the University of Memphis. They wrapped up the 2008 regular season tied for the C-USA regular season title with an 8-2-1 C-USA record. She then played a major part in Memphis winning the C-USA Tournament for the second year in a row.
Balancing her time between women's basketball and her academics is nothing new for UAB women's basketball player Amanda Peterson. Combine those time commitments with all the community service work Peterson has been a part of in her short time on the Birmingham campus, and it all adds up to the sophomore being one of the Blazers' most active student-athletes.
Kendra Reed came to Southern Miss four years ago and has flourished as a student-athlete on and off the court. She has been a mainstay on the floor, so to speak, putting together a string of 113 consecutive starts which is the most consecutive starts of any Lady Eagle basketball player. Reed's off the court highlights include being a member of the Conference USA All-Academic teams for the past two seasons, an ESPN The Magazine All-District First Team honoree and a NCAA Leadership Conference participant. She was named the Afro-American Student Organization Female Athlete of the Year at Southern Miss as well as on Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Second Team selection. Some of her individual career athletic highlights include C-USA Co-Freshman of the Year, second and third team all-conference honors. She currently ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list at Southern Miss and among the top 25 in C-USA. She is the all-time leader in free throw percentage. Reed is a member of Coach Joye Lee-McNelis' first signing class at Southern Miss. "It's been a blessing to be able to be here and get the experiences I've gotten. I do plan to graduate in May with my degree in biological sciences. After that, it looks like graduate school or medical school," she said.
Kellie Schmitt is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. and attended Bethal Park High School. Schmitt is a senior majoring in sports management and marketing at Marshall University. Schmitt earned her highest career preseason ranking of 42nd in the fall of 2008. Schmitt, with teammate Karolina Soor, the tandem was selected as the 14th-ranked preseason doubles team for the fall of 2008. Schmitt competed in the 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Championships singles and doubles main draw. She was the No. 1 seed in both singles and doubles at the 2008 East Regional Championships. Schmitt garnered her fourth career Conference USA Player of the Month honor in October 2008. She was honored with the 2008 ITA East Regional Player-to-Watch, which was her first career honor. Schmitt began the 2009 campaign as the No. 33 nationally-ranked, No. 3 East Regional singles player, and reigning two-time C-USA Player of the Year. The senior tandem of Schmitt and Soor started as the No. 44 nationally-ranked and No. 3 East Regional doubles team in 2009. She was honored with her eighth career C-USA Player of the Week accolade for her impressive wins over nationally-ranked Kentucky in both singles and doubles in Marshall's opening weekend. Schmitt currently leads the program in career singles victories and career overall victories.
She was named to the NCAA Academic All-America Third Team after maintaining a 4.00 grade point average as a psychology major in Rice's accelerated curriculum and was a 2007 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medalist... Scored seven goals and registered six assists for an Owl team that posted its sixth-straight winning season. Scored a total of three game-winning goals, led the team in shots (51) and maintained a team-best .588 shots-on-goal percentage.
Senior goalkeeper Shelby Scott closed out her career at the University of Houston this past fall. Scott emerged as one of the team's leaders as goal keeper, anchoring the defensive backline for the Cougars. She recorded 17 starts in 2008, notching six shutouts and a 1.26 goals against average. Scott leaves Houston as the program's all-time leader in wins (20), shutouts (14) and saves (304). But the Mesquite, Texas, native has also posted impressive numbers in the classroom. Her 3.94 cumulative GPA led her to being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 First Team the last two seasons. Scott was also named to the C-USA All-Academic First Team in each of the last three years. She is also a four-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient for maintaining a GPA of at least 3.75.
Rachael Sofie has been a staple in the Thundering Herd line-up since her freshman season in 2006. In 2008, she was named to the Conference USA second team and to the NFCA Midwest All-Regional Second team as well. During her career, Sofie has batted .300 with 40 RBIs and five home runs. As a junior, she had 62 hits which was tied for second most on the team and nine doubles as well. Sofie also shines in the outfield with a .983 fielding percentage playing a mix between left and right field.
Hannah Stout just finished her sophomore season with The University of Tulsa volleyball team. In 2008, she was named Most Valuable Player of the first two tournaments of the season and named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8, proving her value and consistency on the front line. She completed the season with a team-high .288 attack percentage and tallied 272 kills for a 2.31 kills-per-set average and totaled 93 total blocks, including 84 assists and nine solo blocks. In her career thus far with the Golden Hurricane, Stout has amassed 566 kills and averaged a .287 attack percentage. Stout was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2007 after a season in which she recorded the second-highest block total in the conference and was one of only four freshmen to reach the 200-kill plateau. Stout's major is arts and sciences.
2008: Established herself as the leader of the Pirate pitching staff after Toni Paisley went down with an injury ... Started 42 games and made 54 total appearances, the most in a year in school history ... Pitched 30 complete games, the seventh-most in a season for ECU ... Finished the year with a 25-20 overall record ... Her 25 victories are the ninth-most in a single season in Pirate history and ranked her 30th in the NCAA for wins on the year ... Totaled 181 strikeouts, the eighth-highest single season total in the Pirate record books ...Ranked among the C-USA leaders in saves (T-first/3), appearances (first/54), games started (T-first/42), innings pitched (second/288.2), wins (third) and strikeouts (fourth) ... For her career, now stands sixth in strikeouts (261), tied for sixth in saves (3), seventh in innings pitched (401.2), eighth in appearances (83), tied for ninth in wins (33), 10th in shutouts (11), 10th in games started (57) and 10th in complete games (38) in the ECU record books ... Threw her first career no hitter against Delaware (3/1/08) in the Pirate Clash ... Pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout against Boston College (2/17/08) in the Pirate Invitational ... Earned the win in the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 4-2 triumph over Mississippi Valley State (5/17/08) ... Made 10 appearances where she did not allow an earned run ... Held hitters to a .231 batting average with the bases empty and a .273 average with two outs. 2007: Made 10 appearances with five starts ... Pitched a complete-game, five-inning shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts vs. Vermont in the Pirate Clash (3/2/07) ... Allowed only nine runs in her first four appearances, compiling an ERA of 1.45 in those contests. 2006: Led Conference USA with a 1.52 ERA ... Allowed just two home runs in 78.1 innings of work ... Opponents batted just .199 against her, the second-lowest in C-USA ... Went 15.2 innings (four appearances) to begin her career before allowing a run ... Started the season with a complete game shutout against Florida Atlantic (2/10/06) ... Proceeded to have four more complete-game shutouts during the season: against Towson, Sacred Heart, Buffalo and Campbell ... Allowed just one run in 27.1 innings over six appearances (3/4/06-4/5/06). Community Relations/Personal: Dedicated over 39 hours to community service during the 2007-08 academic year and has already accumulated more than 25 hours so far as a senior ... In the fall of 2008, she took part in the annual ALS Walk to raise money for the fight against Lou Gehrig's disease, the ECU Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive to help area residents in need, the Up 'Til Dawn letter campaign to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Reindeer Dash for Cash 5K and 10-mile race ... The Reindeer Dash for Cash events are held in memory of Capt. Christopher S. Cash, Sr., an East Carolina graduate who died in 2004 while serving his country in Iraq, and to raise money for scholarships that are given out annually in his name.
-Graduating in May with a Bachelors in Business as a junior
Senior Jessica Valis is about to embark on her last season as a Cougar shortstop on the University of Houston softball team. Following the 2008 season, Valis was one of three players named NFCA All-America Third Team making the trio the first in program history to be named All-Americans. She was named to the 2008 All-Conference USA First Team and two-time C-USA Hitter of the Week (April 21 and April 28). Valis beat her own single-season record with 88 hits, and a career-record 12 triples, scoring 51 runs and knocking in 26 runs. She also had a batting average of .431, setting the single-season program record. She also holds the career record with a batting average of .348. Valis holds six of the 12 single-season school hitting records including batting average (.431), runs scored (51), hits (88), triples (7), stolen bases (25). Valis is majoring in consumer science and merchandising, while minoring in marketing. She posted a 3.13 GPA this last semester. The softball team will play their Third-Annual Striking Out Breast Cancer game on March 4, 2009 against Texas A&M. Houston has raised $18,000 in two years for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Finished 13th at the 2008 IAAF World Juniors in Poland in 3000m steeplechase (10:24.14) after winning the 2008 USA Junior National title (10:29.64)....Finished 20th at the NCAA Championships in the 10000m (35:51.16)...Scored in three events at the 2008 C-USA Outdoor, finishing second in the 10000m (36:48.45), third in the 3000m steeplechase (10:52.70) and seventh in the 5000m (17:24.66) to contribute 16 points to the Owls' winning total...Finished third in the 5000m at the C-USA Indoor (17:05.89) and seventh in the 3000m (9:54.06)... Rice's top finisher at the 2007 NCAA Cross Country meet with a time of 21:22.9... Placed 74th overall... 2007 All-NCAA South Central Regional and C-USA first-team member. http://riceowls.cstv.com/genrel/092308aab.html
Has excelled both one and off the court during her first two seasons at East Carolina ... Has captured 44 singles wins and combined on 37 doubles victories in two-plus years ... Member of the Chancellor's List each semester enrolled and currently possesses a cumulative 4.00 grade point average as an English major ... Has remained active in ECU's student-athlete community relations program while also serving role as a departmental tutor. Fall 2008: Posted the Lady Pirates' highest win total in singles play with an 8-5 mark during four fall tournaments ... Won eight of her first 10 singles matches during play at the UNC Wilmington, College of Charleston and Wofford Invitationals ... Teamed with Jessica Cook and Tamara Sachs to capture four of 10 doubles matches. 2007-2008: Overall, recorded a 21-14 singles mark and a 16-14 doubles ledger as a sophomore ... Was 12-7 in singles and 10-8 in doubles play during the spring dual match campaign ... Played primarily in the middle of ECU's lineup, posting 4-2 and 6-5 slates at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, respectively ... Also won only matchups (1-0) at No. 2 and No. 5 ... Triumphed in only C-USA regular season battle, handing UAB's Jenny Cape a 6-3, 6-3 setback ... Split pair of matches at the C-USA Championship Tournament, besting Cape again before falling to Tulsa's Rebecca Row to end the season ... Never suffered a losing streak of more than two matches in singles play all season ... Teamed with Alex Smith as the Lady Pirates' No. 1 doubles tandem (8-8) ... Duo opened spring with victories in six of their first seven matches ... Also added two additional wins partnering with Cook and Mireia Gol ... Tallied triumphs in three of seven singles matches during fall tourney play ... Split four matches in the first two events with an 0-2 mark at the Residence Inn North Wolfpack Invitational and a 2-0 record at the Wofford Invitational before capturing a pair of victories at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships ... Partnered with Alex Smith to turn in the program's top doubles record of the fall (7-2) ... After opening with a pair of 2-1 ledgers (N.C. State and Wofford), the pair cruised through the SIC with a perfect 3-0 result to capture a flight title. 2006-07: Turned in the program's second-best singles record (15-10) during inaugural spring dual match season ... Played all positions except for No. 5 (0-2 at No. 1, 1-0 at No. 2, 4-1 at No. 3, 9-7 at No. 4 and 1-0 at No. 6) ... One of only two players to notch a Conference USA regular season victory (Houston) ... Opened campaign in strong fashion, winning 12 of first 16 matches ... Turned in a 12-6 overall doubles record, working with Varinia Soler (0-1), Presley Thomas (1-1), Zandy Overcash (1-0), Anca Dumitru (0-1) and Smith (10-3, which included a 9-3 ledger at the No. 3 slot) ... Also booked an impressive performance during her initial semester in the ECU program, winning six of 10 (6-4) singles matches during fall tourney play ... Paired with Thomas (4-2) and Varinia Soler (0-6) for a combined 4-8 doubles record ... Took third-place in her college singles debut at the UNC-Wilmington/Landfall Invitational, defeating North Carolina's Hanes Harris (6-2, 6-4) and Charleston Southern's Patricia Jaeger (6-1, 6-2) ... Advanced to the consolation finals of the Residence Inn North Wolfpack Invitational and bounced back to capture the consolation crown in A-2 Singles Draw at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships (Columbia, S.C.) ... Earned a third-place finish at the College of Charleston Invitational (Isle of Palms Doubles Draw) with Thomas before a fifth-place standing at the Wolfpack Invite (A-2 Doubles Draw). High School/Junior Tennis: Was the top-ranked 18U player in North Carolina ... Represented North Carolina as the No. 1-seeded player at the Southern Region Davis Cup/Fed Cup Tournament for three consecutive years as a result of a top 20 regional rank by United States Tennis Association (USTA) ...Posted a 6-1 combined record in singles and doubles to lead Team North Carolina to wins over Kentucky, Alabama and Louisiana in 2005 ... Booked dual match records of 67-3 (singles) and 22-3 (doubles) at Page High School and played a key role in the Pirates' run of four straight North Carolina Class 4A State Championship Finals appearances and state titles in 2004 and 2005 ... Earned All-Metro Conference honors all four years and was an all-state selection in 2002, 2003 and 2004 ... Graduated No. 3 in her class at PHS ... Was inducted into the National Honor Society, was a National Merit Commended Student and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Personal: Full name is Brooke Mackenzie Walter ... Born August 8, 1988 at Greenville, S.C. ... Daughter of Paul and Lou Walter ... Major is English.
One of the most versatile athletes in any sport at SMU, junior forward Delisha Wills has emerged as one of the leaders of the 2008-09 SMU women's basketball team. A third-team All-Conference USA honoree last year as a sophomore, Wills stepped into a leadership role following the departure of six players off of last year's conference tournament champion squad. Through the first 19 games, she is among the Mustangs' leaders in points, rebounds, shooting percentage, steals, assists and blocked shots. In addition to her value to the Mustangs, Wills has earned the respect of opposing coaches, many of whom focus their defensive strategies on her. One opposing coach, when admiring her all-around talent and athleticism, said "if she was three inches taller, she would have been recruited by every team in the country." One of the Mustangs' 2008-09 captains, Wills is one of just four players on the team to record a double-double, and likely will become just the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 points in her career - maybe even before the end of her junior season.
Marie Yempuku has been a leader for the UAB women's soccer team since she arrived on campus a long way from her home in Honolulu, Hawaii. Yempuku has started every game (39 of them) as a midfielder since she joined the Blazers and last season tallied a pair of goals and three assists. Yempuku is a team captain and is responsible for overseeing the Blazers' volunteer work throughout the fall season. One of the interesting things that the International Studies major did during the fall was organize the collection of hygiene products when the team was on road trips, and then take those items to local shelters in the areas they were visiting.
After being a four-year all-American at Marshall, Rachel Folden currently plays in the National Pro Fastpitch League for the Chicago Bandits organization. In Folden's rookie year of 2008, she was honored as the league's Nokona American Glove Rookie of the Year and her team won the Cowles Cup in the championship tournament. The title was the team's first championship as a member NPF. At Marshall Folden left her mark on the record book with six single-season and career records including home runs and RBIs.
Sarah Haskins competed in her first Olympics for the United States triathlon team at the 2008 Beijing games, finishing in 11th place. Haskins finished second at the world championships and in sixth place at the Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon World Cup in Des Moines, Iowa, in the summer of 2008. At Tulsa, Haskins earned 12 letters during her career, participating in cross country, indoor and outdoor track in each of her four seasons.
Completed her career at Rice in 2006 by qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the long jump and then exploded on to the world list in 2008 in the long jump, posting the best mark in the world at that time in March and qualifying for the US Olympic Trails. She earned a trip to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, becoming Rice's first member of the US Women's Olympic Track and Field team, and the ninth Rice woman to complete in track at the Olympic Games. She qualified for the long jum final in Beijing.
Izabela Piekarska, the UTEP women's basketball team's all-time leading scoring, has continued her success following her graduation from the university in May 2008. The 6-5 native of Poland was one of two Miners drafted into the WNBA last year before she ultimately landed in Europe to play professionally closer to home. Piekarska, who was an instrumental part of UTEP's record-setting 28-4 campaign in 2007-08, is now a standout performer with Bnot Raanana Hasharon in Israel.
Nancy Mize, who has been a pioneering leader in the field of recreational sports throughout her 37 years of experience in the field, currently serves as the Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness and Adjunct Lecturer in the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Mize has devoted her life to higher education with over 30 years of administrative experience, teaching and coaching at the collegiate level. Additionally, she has leadership and administrative experience with Corporate Fitness, Community Parks and Recreation, and High School and College Officiating in both women's volleyball and softball. Involvement in professional associations and community service has always been a way of life for Mize, especially her work with Special Olympics and Senior Games, being involved with both organizations in leadership roles for over 20 years. Academically, Mize has served on many university committees including the search committees for the Provost as well as the Vice Provost for Student Affairs positions. Currently, she is serving on the recently formed SACS Reaffirmation Committee and the University Athletic Committee. Professionally, Mize has made numerous presentations at local, state, regional and national conferences on recreation, fitness, wellness and programming administration. She has held many leadership positions within professional organizations including AAHPERD and NIRSA (National Intramural Recreational Sports Association). Mize was one of the first female Director's of a Recreational Sports program at a major university in the country and has served as the "Speaker of Repute" for the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and received the ODK President's Award for Outstanding Community Service. Additionally, she has received the ECU Division of Student Life Outstanding Community Contributions Award, Special Olympics Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Greenville-Pitt County Senior Games Pioneer Spirit Award for "Outstanding Dedication and Commitment to the Development of the Senior Games Program". Mize was also the recipient of the ECU Chancellor's Award for Excellence for Public Service and was a nominee for the State of North Carolina Governor's Award for Excellence. Last year she received the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Regional Award of Merit for Region II. Throughout her career, Mize has worked tirelessly to insure that girls and women have an opportunity to learn and play their chosen sport and excel on every level. She embodies the spirit of participation across the lifespan, and continues to be a positive role model for women in sport as she helped her Senior Games Softball Team win the gold medal at the 2008 State Finals this past fall. |
Which C-USA player will have the biggest impact in Super Bowl XLVI?
|
tulsa.jpg)
