The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- May 10, 1999

NCAA awards 32 postgraduate scholarships in basketball

Postgraduate scholarships of $5,000 each have been awarded by the NCAA to 16 men's and 16 women's basketball players at member institutions.

The NCAA annually awards 174 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically and who are in their last year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

In addition to the 32 basketball honorees, the NCAA awards 35 postgraduate scholarships to football players and 107 to student-athletes participating in sports other than football and basketball (36 for men and 71 for women) in which the NCAA conducts championships, as well as in emerging sports.

Of the 32 basketball scholarships, 12 were awarded to Division I student-athletes, 12 were awarded to student-athletes in Divisions II and III and the remaining eight were awarded at large.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.000 (4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated.

The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time graduate student. In addition, the student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.

Following is a complete list of the 1998-99 NCAA postgraduate scholarship winners for basketball with school, major and notable accomplishments.

Men's Division I

Damon Christopher Cobb, University of Alabama at Birmingham -- biology major with a chemistry minor; set a school record for most points scored by a freshman; led Conference USA in steals his senior year; three-time Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year; plans to attend UAB's School of Public Health in the fall of 1999.

Ryan A. Robertson, University of Kansas -- business administration major; two-time all-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection; 1999 Paine Webber Scholar-Athlete of the Year; three-time all-academic team honoree for the Big 12; will pursue a sports administration degree.

Michael David Ruffin, University of Tulsa -- chemical engineering major; set school records for rebounds and blocked shots in a career; only player in Tulsa history to score 1,000 points and collect 1,000 rebounds; selected to Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society, and Mortar Board; will study computer science in graduate school at Tulsa.

Matthew Karl Sundblad, Lamar University -- psychology major; led the NCAA in free-throw percentage; set school records for three-point shots made and career free-throw percentage; 1999 Southland Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year; plans to pursue a master's degree in theology.

Benjamin C. Wandtke, Colgate University -- biology major; won the Gottesman Award for Excellence in the Sciences and Athletics at Colgate; 1998 second-team all-Patriot League selection; selected to membership of Beta Beta Beta, the biology national honor society; plans to study medicine.

Thomas Rutledge Wideman, Clemson University -- management major with a minor in international studies; represented Clemson at the 1997 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference; stands 11th in school history for rebounds in a career with 662; tied for most consecutive games played in school history at 123; will pursue a master's degree in business administration at Clemson.

Men's Divisions II and III

David Allen Hobbs Jr., Hampden-Sydney College -- economics and mathematics major; second-team all-Old Dominion Athletic Conference selection; academic all-American; member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society; winner of the 1998 President's Award for Scholarship and Character; will pursue a master's degree in business administration.

Jared Boyce Mosley, Abilene Christian University -- interdisciplinary studies and secondary teaching major with minors in biology and health; two-time first-team all-Lone Star Conference selection; first-team all-South Central region selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches; Lone Star South Division Player of the Year; will pursue a master's degree in school administration at Abilene Christian.

John Jason Rusnak, Denison University -- economics and communications major; two-time North Coast Athletic Conference scoring champion; 1997-98 North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year; set school records for career field-goal percentage and steals; third in school history for rebounds in a career; will pursue a master's degree in business administration.

Lewis G. Satterwhite, Emory University -- philosophy major and sociology minor; ranks second in school history in career rebounds; twice named team captain; two-time all-conference second-team selection; winner of Emory Scholar-Athlete Award; finished the season ranked 14th nationally in rebounding; will study medicine.

Bret Alan VanDyken, Ripon College -- chemistry and biology major with a minor in religion; three-time first-team all-Midwest Conference selection; placed in top 10 for scoring in the conference each of the past three years; stands eighth in school history for points in a career; will attend the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry this fall.

Joshua James Wilhelm, Carleton College -- biology major; owns school record for most points scored in a career with 1,967; set the single-season scoring record with 588 points in 1996-97; four-time all-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first-team selection; will study biomedical engineering.

Men's at large

Jeffrey Dean Bell, Olivet College -- business administration major; two-time all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association first-team selection; 1996-97 MIAA scoring leader; Olivet College Gary Morrison Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year for 1996-97; will pursue a master's degree in business administration.

Jeremy Alan Piggott, Northwood University -- accounting major; school record holder for career field-goal percentage; first team all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection; helped team to school-record 21 wins as a senior; will pursue a postgraduate degree in business administration.

Thomas J. Pugh, University of Kansas -- psychology major; three-time, first-team academic all-Big 12 Conference selection; three-time Jayhawk Scholar award winner; Phillips 66 Classroom Champion award winner; will attend medical school.

Eric Paul Schraeder, Saint Mary's College (California) -- sports management major; four-time all-West Coast Conference Academic Team member; 1998-99 West Coast Conference Player of the Year; led conference in scoring his senior year; will pursue master's degree in sports management.

Women's Division I

Tennyson Layne Ballek, Montana State University -- exercise science major; selected as the 1999 Big Sky Conference most valuable player; four-time academic all-conference; ranks seventh all-time in career scoring, fifth in rebounding and fourth in blocked shots; plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in physical therapy.

Kristina L. Behnfeldt, Marshall University -- marketing major; named to the Mid-American Conference's first team in 1999; selected as a first-team member of the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American women's basketball squad; school record holder for career rebounds with 1,101 and second all-time in scoring with 2,117 points; plans to work in business before attending graduate school.

Stacey Anne Berg, St. Mary's College (California) -- anthropology/sociology major; two-time all-West Coast Conference academic team selection; ranks eighth in school history in career scoring (1,015 points), fifth in three-point shots made (132) and eighth in assists (240); plans to attend law school.

Amy Jo Herrig, University of Iowa -- sport, health, leisure and physical studies major; named first-team all-Big Ten Conference in 1999; ranks eighth on Iowa's career scoring list (1,275), fifth in rebounds (755) and sixth in blocked shots (65); academic all-Big Ten for four seasons; plans to attend graduate school to pursue degrees in sports management and business administration.

Jessica Lorraine LaBlanc, Northern Arizona University -- anthropology major; set school marks for career scoring and field goals made; three-time all-Big Sky Conference selection; team captain for the last two years; GTE/CoSIDA first-team Academic All-American for District VIII in 1998 and 1999; plans to attend medical school.

Brittany Marie Lindhe, University of San Francisco -- exercise and sports science major; all-West Coast Conference selection in each of her four seasons; West Coast Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player in 1997; conference all-academic team for three seasons; plans to pursue a coaching career as well as a graduate degree in kinesiology.

Women's Division II and III

Susan Alice Bender, DePauw University -- history major; set school standard for assists (347) and games started (102); also ranks second in school history in steals, free throws made and games played; was captain for three seasons (1997-99); three-time Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference first-team selection (1997-99); plans to attend law school.

Marisa Ann Hesse, Austin College -- political science major; set school career scoring mark with 1,842 points; set all-time records for three-pointers made (261) and three-point accuracy (41.8 percent); selected first-team American Southwest Conference three times; GTE/

CoSIDA Region XI All-America selection; plans to attend law school.

Theresa Marie Lang, North Dakota State University -- business administration major; set school mark with 139 three-point shots made; first-team all-North Central Conference academic selection in 1997-98; plans to attend graduate school and study business administration with a focus on human resource management.

Shasti Nicole Pendley, Southeastern Oklahoma State University -- mathematics and health and physical education double major; scored 1,452 points in her career, hitting 44.4 percent from three-point range; Lone Star Conference Academic Team selection from 1997-99; plans to attend graduate school to study education.

Jennifer Lee Swinehart, Baldwin-Wallace College -- prephysical therapy and athletic training major; WBCA/

Kodak All-American in 1999; Ohio Athletic Conference first-team selection in 1999; GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America Player of the Year in 1999; set school mark for points in a season with 437 in 1999; plans to attend graduate school at Ohio State and major in physical therapy.

Ashley Alicia Totedo, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania -- psychology major; established school records for rebounds (1,436), blocked shots (305) and rebounding average (11.7); first-team WBCA/Kodak All-American in 1998 and 1999; only Division II player in history to combine for 2,000 points, 1,400 rebounds and 300 blocked shots; plans to attend law school.

Women's at large

Heather Renee Best, Bradley University -- environmental science and geology double major; three-time all-Missouri Valley Conference academic choice; started in all 107 games in her career; ranks in the school's top 10 in 17 categories; averaged 17.2 points per game in her career; plans to attend graduate school and study environmental geology.

Erica Ruth Pearson, St. Mary's College of Maryland -- biology major; averaged 20.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game; also had success as a volleyball player at St. Mary's; led the team to its first-ever NCAA Division III tournament appearance; plans to attend graduate school and pursue a degree in environmental sciences.

Shannon L. Smith, Northern Kentucky University -- computer science and mathematics double major; first-team all-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection in 1999; four-time member of the all-GLVC academic team; scored 1,275 points in her career, ranking ninth in school history; plans to pursue a master's degree in mathematics.

Julie Liza Virta, Austin Peay State University -- mathematics major; GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team in 1999; was named the Ohio Valley Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1999; plans to attend graduate school and study mechanical and industrial engineering.