2005-06 NATIONAL WINNERS NAMED FOR DIVISION II SCHOLAR AWARDS
Disney’s Wide World of SportsâComplex and DII Commissioners Co-Sponsor;
MIAA AND NCC STARS NAMED TOP SCHOLARS

For Release: September 20, 2006
Contact:  Steve Murray (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) phone: 570-893-2512

Walnut Creek, CA - - Kristin Anderson of Central Missouri and Ryan Koch of St. Cloud State have been named the top female and male Division II Scholar-Athletes of the Year by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.  The Division II Scholar-Athletes of the Year awards are sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of SportsâComplex.

The selection of Anderson and Koch cap a selection process guided by the Division II Commissioners Association.  Last month, 16 regional scholar-athlete award winners were named.  Anderson and Koch were selected from a field of eight men’s regional winners and eight women’s regional winners. 

Koch becomes the fifth North Central Conference student-athlete to win the national award.  Last year’s winners Heather Hamilton of the University of Minnesota Duluth and Aaron Graumann of Augustana (SD) College, were both members of the NCC.  Jill Theeler of North Dakota State and Corte McGuffey of Northern Colorado captured the top awards in 2002 and 2000, respectively.

Anderson becomes the third student-athlete, all females, from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association to garner the national award.  Kate Hamera of Missouri-Rolla was a national award winner in 2004, while Emily Bloss of Emporia State was tabbed the top female scholar-athlete in 2001. 

In 2003, Alice Duesing of Lake Superior State University and Matt Spector of Quincy University were named Division II’s top scholar-athletes. During the 2002 voting, Douglas Hargett became the first repeat winner and provided the University of North Alabama with its third recipient in as many years.  In 2000, Rachel Price of the University of North Alabama was named the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. 

We are all very proud of the quality student-athletes that Division II institutions produce annually,” explains Jim Naumovich, commissioner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and president of the Division II Commissioners Association.  “Disney’s Wide World of Sports has helped Division II in many ways and we are grateful to Disney Sports Attractions for helping us recognize this outstanding talent.”

“Involvement in Division II collegiate athletics is something we have emphasized since Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex opened in 1997,” adds Fred Schoeler, sports account manager for Disney Sports Attractions.  “The Men’s and Women’s Tip Off Classic basketball tournaments, which we created along with the Division II Commissioners Association, are two of our top events each fall, while the scholar awards give us the opportunity to annually recognize top student-athletes for their academic and athletic achievements.”

Anderson sported a 3.97 undergraduate cumulative grade point average at Central Missouri while pursuing a marketing degree.  A recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, she is currently pursuing her master’s degree.  The Richfield, Ohio native competed in indoor & outdoor track and field and cross country as an undergrad.  Anderson is a two-time national champion, winning the 5,000 meter run at the 2006 NCAA-II Indoor Championships and the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2005 NCAA-II Outdoor Championships.  Additionally, she has finished second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in both 2003 and 2004 while finishing 15th at the cross country national championships, earning All-America status.  Anderson is a three-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and has been named to the dean’s list at Central Missouri State every semester.