Thirty-seven Wildcats Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

7/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | General

July 15, 2009

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Thirty-seven Wildcats have been selected as inaugural recipients of the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award, given to student-athletes who earned a minimum grade point average of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year.

In February of 2008, Big Ten Faculty Representatives established a new conference academic recognition to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution. However, the new award encompasses only student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for their academic career.

Two Wildcats, graduate student C.J. Bachér of football and sophomore Kelsey Lindenschmidt of women's golf, received special recognition for earning perfect 4.0 GPA's over the past year.

Overall, 505 student-athletes representing 32 different sports from the Big Ten's 11 member institutions received the new award. The list of Northwestern honorees is as follows:

Colleen Antas, Women's Soccer • So. • Education/Spanish • Wheaton, Ill.
C.J. Bachér, Football • Gr. • Communication Studies • Sacramento, Calif.Meredith Baskies, Women's Fencing • Jr. • Communication Studies • Lynnfield, Mass.Ariel Baxterbeck, Women's Volleyball • Jr. • Environmental Sciences • Menlo Park, Calif.Kyle Bertin, Wrestling • Jr. • Mechanical Engineering • Cleveland, OhioHilary Bowen, Women's Lacrosse • Sr. • Human Development & Psychological Services • Rochester, N.Y.Carly Brown, Women's Cross Country • Sr. • Communication Studies • Kalispell, Mont.Phil Brunner, Football • Sr. • Chemical Engineering • South Milwaukee, Wis.Kate Cline, Women's Cross Country • Sr. • Journalism • Brecksville, OhioCourtney Coburn, Field Hockey • Jr. • Psychology • Upper Arlington, OhioMike Dinard, Football • Sr. • Psychology & Philosophy • Parma, Ohio
Jenny Dunn, Women's Soccer • Sr. • Communication Studies • Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Jenny Eckhart, Women's Basketball • Jr. • Human Development & Psychological Services • Libertyville, Ill.Meredith Frank, Women's Lacrosse • Sr. • Political Science • Westwood, Mass.John Franklin, Men's Swimming & Diving • Sr. • Communication Studies • Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Ellen Grigg, Women's Swimming & Diving • So. • Undecided • Charlotte, N.C.Britta Helwig, Women's Cross Country • Jr. • Learning & Organizational Change • Chicago, Ill.Sarah Henning, Women's Fencing • Jr. • History/International Studies • New Berlin, Wis.
Amanda Hoffman, Women's Soccer • Sr. • Communication Studies • North Tustin, Calif.
Laura Janowitsch, Women's Soccer • Sr. • Psychology • Grafton, Wis.Allison King, Women's Cross Country • Sr. • Communication Studies/international Studies • Potomac, Md.Emily Kyle, Field Hockey • Sr. • Communication Studies • San Francisco, Calif.Kelsey Lindenschmidt, Women's Golf • So. • Biomedical Engineering • West Chester, OhioLauren Lui, Women's Tennis • Jr. • Learning & Organizational Change • Houston, Texas •Katie Lynch, Field Hockey • So. • Human Communication Studies • Briarcliff, N.Y.Sarah Marcincin, Field Hockey • So. • Undecided • Bethlehem, Pa.Eric Metzler, Wrestling • Sr. • Learning & Organizational Change • Luxemburg, Wis.Eamon O'Neill, Men's Soccer • Jr. • Communication Studies • Wilmington, Del.Annie Reihman, Women's Cross Country • So. • Biological Sciences • Richmond, Ind.Megan Ross, Women's Fencing • Sr. • Religion/Cognitive Science • Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ali Rubnitz, Women's Soccer • Jr. • Communication Studies • Los Gatos, Calif.Rachel Rys, Women's Swimming & Diving • Jr. • Gender Studies/Linguistics • Goleta, Calif.
Katherine Sampson, Women's Soccer • Jr. • Environmental Sciences • San Francisco, Calif.Genny Szymanski, Women's Swimming & Diving • Jr. • Communication Studies • Haines, AlaskaNicole Tilley, Women's Fencing • So. • Communications Technology/Spanish • Chandler, Ariz.Sterling Williams, Men's Basketball • Gr. • Communication Studies • Chicago, Ill.Mark Woodsum, Football • Sr. • Environmental Sciences • Buffalo Grove, Ill.