The NCAA News - News and Features

January 13, 1997

Top VIII awards

A standout group of student-athletes that includes the Heisman Trophy winner, individual champions in swimming and diving and two members of soccer teams that have captured Division I titles has been selected as this year's Today's Top VIII.

The Today's Top VIII honors distinguished student-athletes from the preceding calendar year for athletics and academic achievement, character, and leadership.

The Today's Top VIII will be recognized at the honors dinner January 12 during the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Following are biographical sketches of the Today's Top VIII:

Atiim "Tiki" BARBER

Barber is an all-Atlantic Coast Conference running back who was named the league's offensive player of the year in 1996 after rushing for more than 100 yards in nine of 10 games for the University of Virginia.

Barber was a third-team all-American as a junior and was one of eight finalists for the 1995 Doak Walker Award. He was named the most outstanding player of the 1995 Peach Bowl after rushing for 103 yards.

A commerce major, Barber is one of eight football student-athletes in the country to be awarded a postgraduate scholarship by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Barber also is a 1995 first-team GTE Academic All-America.

Barber is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma honor society.

Adam BURGASSER

Burgasser won the three-meter diving championship for the University of California, San Diego, and placed second in the one-meter event at the 1996 Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships to complete a career in which he placed no worse than ninth in each event for four consecutive years. He was named Division III diver of the year in 1996.

Burgasser graduated summa cum laude with a degree in physics. He was a 1995-96 Research Scholar and recipient of the John Holmes Malmberg Award. Burgasser also earned GTE Academic All-America recognition in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

A member of the John Muir Theater Troupe and the Muir Musical Ensemble, Burgasser also has volunteered as a drama teacher in California high schools.

Jennifer M. CLARKSON

Named the 1996 Division II player of the year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Clarkson helped lead Abilene Christian University to the national semifinals in 1996.

She was named the Lone Star Conference's most outstanding player as a senior after leading the league in scoring, steals and field-goal percentage.

A four-time captain, Clarkson ranks second on school charts in career scoring and rebounding. Abilene Christian retired her jersey after her senior campaign.

Clarkson is an elementary education major and a recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. She also is a first-team GTE Academic All-America selection.

Michael J. FISHER

Fisher has helped guide Virginia to two Division I Men's Soccer Championship titles and one third-place finish during his four-year career.

Fisher has ranked among scoring leaders in each of the last two seasons and is a two-time recipient of the Hermann Award, given by the National Soccer Hall of Fame to the nation's top collegiate player.

He has been named player of the year by both Soccer America and Soccer Digest magazines.

Fisher also was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's player of the year in 1996 after climbing to fourth on ACC charts in career points and first in career assists. He holds school marks in both of those categories as well.

Fisher earned a degree in biology/premedicine and was named the GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for at-large sports.

Berit PUGGAARD

A two-time national champion in the 200-meter butterfly at Southern Methodist University, Puggaard also won the 200-yard butterfly in the 1994 and 1995 NCAA Division I women's championships. She placed third in the event in the 1996 championships and was among the top five in four other events to help the Mustangs place second in team scoring, Southern Methodist's highest finish ever.

She has been a member of two relay champions, including the Mustangs' 400-yard medley relay team in 1996 and the 800-yard freestyle relay team in 1995.

Internationally, Puggaard competed for Denmark in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and has been a member of the Danish national team for six years. She also competed in the World Championships in 1991 and 1994.

Puggaard is a two-time first-team GTE Academic All-America.

Jennifer M. RENOLA

Renola is a three-time all-American goalkeeper for the University of Notre Dame and helped lead the Fighting Irish to their first national title in 1995. This year's squad spent much of the season ranked No. 1 and advanced to the national-championship match for the third consecutive year.

She holds school records in career shutouts and career goals-against average. She also has registered the best winning percentage in school history.

Renola is an English/computer-applications major and a 1995 GTE Academic All-America. She also is a 1995 Knute Rockne student-athlete award winner.

She is involved in the Notre Dame life skills program for freshman student-athletes and is an academic peer adviser.

Annette E. SALMEEN

Salmeen became UCLA's first women's swimming champion when she won the 200-yard butterfly at the 1996 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.

Salmeen also was a significant point-scorer for the Bruins in three previous championships, placing seventh in the 200-yard butterfly and the 800-yard freestyle relay in 1995, eighth in the 800-freestyle relay in 1994, and eighth in the 200-yard butterfly in 1993.

Salmeen also starred in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, winning a gold medal as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay team and finishing 12th in the 200-yard butterfly. She also has participated in other international competition.

A 1996 graduate with a degree in chemistry, Salmeen earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and was a GTE Academic All-America in 1995. She was one of 10 finalists for the 1996 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Danny WUERFFEL

The 1996 Heisman Trophy winner, Wuerffel is one of the top passers in NCAA history, having set a career mark in passing efficiency and ranking second in career touchdown passes.

He finished third in the balloting for the 1995 Heisman and won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. He was selected as the 1995 player of the year by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and as the 1995 offensive player of the year by Football News.

Wuerffel holds Southeastern Conference records in career touchdown passes and combined passing and rushing touchdowns scored.

He is one of eight football student-athletes in the country to be awarded a postgraduate scholarship by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and is a two-time GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in football.