The NCAA News - News and Features

January 5, 1998

Eight top student-athletes to be recognized by NCAA

A stellar group of student-athletes that includes the NCAA Woman of the Year, an Olympian, top football players, and NCAA champions in volleyball, basketball and gymnastics has been selected as this year's Today's Top VIII.

The Today's Top VIII, selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, recognizes distinguished student-athletes from the preceding calendar year for athletics, academic achievement, character and leadership.

Those chosen are swimmer Lisa Coole of the University of Georgia; volleyball/basketball athletes Carrie E. Ferguson of Capital University and Kasey A. Morlock of North Dakota State University; track and field standout Obadele O. Thompson of the University of Texas at El Paso; gymnast Meredith Willard of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; and football players Brian Griese of the University of Michigan; Peyton Manning of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Grant Wistrom of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

The Today's Top VIII will be recognized at the honors dinner January 11 during the NCAA Convention in Atlanta.

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

Lisa Coole

University of Georgia

Swimming

The 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year, Coole is an NCAA champion in the 100 butterfly and the 200 freestyle relay.

Coole became the first swimmer in Georgia history to earn the maximum-possible seven first-team all-American awards in swimming. She also won gold, silver and bronze medals in the 1995 World University Games (in the 400 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, respectively).

She was named to the National "A" Swim Team in 1995 after being ranked among the top eight swimmers in the world in the 100 butterfly. In 1996, Coole was named to the National "B" team after being ranked among the top 16 swimmers in the world in the 100 butterfly.

Coole graduated cum laude with a degree in biology. She was a 1997 NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient and a GTE Academic All-America honoree. Coole also was a three-time Southeastern Conference all-academic selection and four-time College Swim Coaches Association all-academic team selection.

She is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been a member of the Athens-Clarke County mentor program. Coole also volunteered at the Athens Area Homeless Shelter and read to grade school children.

Carrie E. Ferguson

Capital University

Volleyball/basketball

Ferguson helped guide the Crusaders to two Division III Women's Basketball Championship titles and a third-place finish during her four-year basketball career. Her team also won four Ohio Athletic Conference championships.

Selected to the 1997 Kodak Division III All-American first team, Ferguson also was named to the NCAA championship Great Lakes regional team. She is a two-time all-Ohio Athletic Conference selection.

In volleyball, Ferguson was named to the NCAA Division III regional all-tournament team in 1996.

She was a two-time all-conference selection and was selected as the Ohio Athletic Conference player of the year in 1996 after leading Capital to the conference championship.

She graduated with a degree in psychology, placing first in her class. Ferguson was selected as an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient and was a GTE Academic All-America honoree.

She also received a Board of Regents postgraduate scholarship and the Clyde A. Lamb Scholar-Athlete Award (awarded to the Ohio Athletic Conference's top female scholar-athlete). Ferguson was a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and Psi Chi Psychology National Honor Society.

Ferguson volunteered at homeless shelters and tutored second-graders at Montrose Elementary School.

Brian Griese

University of Michigan

Football

Ranked in 1997 by The Associated Press as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation, Griese led Michigan to the No. 1 ranking in the country entering the Rose Bowl.

Greise set the school record for most touchdown passes in a game with four against the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 1996. He has thrown for 200 yards or more in a game seven times and has completed 20 or passes four times.

Griese's best passing game was in 1995 with 323 passing yards against Pennsylvania State University.

He graduated with a degree in international affairs. Griese is a GTE Academic All-America honoree and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. He is a three-time Big Ten Conference all-academic selection.

Griese helped begin a program named Student-Athletes Helping to Achieve Reading Excellence (S.H.A.R.E.) in local elementary schools. He also visits local hospitals on a regular basis.

Peyton Manning

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Football

Manning, after returning for his senior season instead of turning professional, leaves Tennessee with 33 school records.

He holds NCAA records for the lowest interception percentage for a season and career. The three-time Heisman Trophy finalist topped the 300-yard mark 18 times in his career, including seven consecutive games.

In 1996, Manning became Tennessee's first quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. A Johnny Unitas Award winner, Manning was named the Southeastern Conference player of the year and the 1994 SEC freshman of the year.

Manning graduated cum laude with a degree in speech communication and is currently working on a master's degree in sports administration. He is a 1997 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. Manning also has been an SEC academic honor roll member for two consecutive years.

He visits local hospitals and schools on a regular basis. Manning has been an active member of the D.A.R.E. program and he participated in public-service announcements urging young people to stay in school and wear bicycle helmets.

Kasey A. Morlock

North Dakota State University

Basketball/volleyball

Named the 1997 Rawlings Division II player of the year, Morlock helped lead the North Dakota State basketball team to three straight national titles.

Morlock became the first basketball player (male or female) at North Dakota State to score 2,000 points during a career. She scored in double figures a school-record 101 times. She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer at North Dakota State and in the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. A four-time all-conference selection and the league's most valuable player in 1995, Morlock also was selected to the NCAA championship North Central regional team twice.

Morlock is an electrical engineering major. She is a GTE Academic All-America honoree and a two-time conference all-academic team selection. She was a member of Blue Key National Honor Society and the recipient of the Blue Key Doctor of Service Scholarship.

She was an active speaker for the "Just Say No" drug program and the D.A.R.E. program. Morlock is a Sunday School teacher and also volunteers at YMCA and for United Way. In April 1997, she was selected as USA Today's Online Positive Performer. She also assisted as a volunteer with the Red River flood.

Obadele O. Thompson

University of Texas at El Paso

Track and field

Thompson is the world record holder at 55 meters, with a time of 5.99 seconds. He placed fourth in the 200-meter run at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He was the 1997 NCAA champion in the 100-meter run outdoors. Thompson also won the 200-meter run indoors two consecutive years.

Thompson ran the fastest wind-aided 100-meter run in history, 9.69 seconds, in 1996. He was selected as a USA Track and Field all-American

While earning a double major in marketing and economics, Thompson was a GTE Academic All-America honoree. He earned membership in Beta Gamma Sigma as one of the top seven percent of all business students in the United States during 1996. He has been selected to the all-Western Athletic Conference team for three years.

An active member of his local church, he is involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At the 1996 Olympic Games, Thompson carried the flag of Barbados during the opening ceremonies.

Meredith Willard

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Gymnastics

An NCAA Woman of the Year finalist, Willard won the all-around competition at the 1996 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships.

In 1997, Willard was the only gymnast to reach the final in all four events at the NCAA championships.

Willard finished second in the all-around event, third on the balance beam, fourth on the vault and eighth on the uneven bars.

She was named Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year in 1997 and SEC Freshman of the Year in 1994. Willard was also named the Alabama Athlete of the Year by the Alabama Sportswriters Association.

Willard graduated with a degree in marketing. She was an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. Willard was a National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (Women) scholastic all-American three consecutive years. She is a member of Gamma Beta Phi national honor society and Golden Key. Willard also was a three-time SEC all-academic selection.

Willard helped direct the university's community outreach effort. She has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Project Angeltree, and made frequent trips to the Stallings RISE center, a facility for handicapped and at-risk preschool children.

Grant Wistrom

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Football

All-American Grant Wistrom is the all-time leader in career tackles-for-loss at Nebraska.

A Lombardi Award semifinalist, Wistrom recorded five tackles, including a sack, and five quarterback hurries during the 1996 Orange Bowl.

As a junior, he was named the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year and as a freshman was named Big Eight Conference defensive newcomer of the year.

Wistrom is a biological sciences major. He was a recipient of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship and was an NCAA postgraduate scholarship selection. Wistrom also was a three-time conference all-academic team member.

He volunteers with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Peoples City Mission. Wistrom also speaks at local schools to children about alcohol and drug prevention.