Forester athletes prove scholarly

Forester athletes prove scholarly
HC student-athletes earn many academic and athletic honors in 2001-02

FOR RELEASE July 8, 2002
HUNTINGTON, IN— The Huntington College men’s tennis team achieved a team grade point average (GPA) of 3.453 on a 4.0 scale to earn the 2001-02 Academic Excellence Award. The award is bestowed upon the HC athletic team that has amassed the highest team GPA during the previous school year.

The men’s tennis team is only one example of how academics and athletics go hand-in-hand at Huntington College. Out of 14 intercollegiate sports at HC, 11 teams finished the year with team GPA’s over 3.0. Joining men’s tennis on the list were women’s cross country (3.318), women’s track and field (3.297), women’s softball (3.255), volleyball (3.211), women’s tennis (3.199), women’s basketball (3.169), women’s soccer (3.161), men’s cross country (3.132), men’s basketball (3.032), and men’s track and field (3.002).

Eleven student-athletes representing 12 individual honors were recognized as National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-America Scholar Athletes. Those athletes include:

Name Sport(s) Hometown

Erin Abbey soccer/track Millbury, Ohio
Russ Degitz baseball Fort Wayne, Ind.
Brooke Owens tennis Kokomo, Ind.
Jacob Miles tennis London, Ont.
Andy Kurzen basketball Massillon, Ohio
Brett Snodgrass basketball Versailles, Ind.
Kara Shoemaker soccer Fort Wayne, Ind.
Tim Thompson soccer Bluffton, Ohio
Carrie Reeese cross country Mount Cory, Ohio
Greg Byrum cross country Twelve Mile, Ind.
Rick Hammer cross country Hudson, Ind.

In addition, the HC chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma (the national college athletic honor society requiring an athlete to have a 3.5 cumulative GPA, earn a varsity letter, be a junior or senior in academic and athletic standing and be of good, moral character) inducted ten student-athletes into its organization. Included in the list of honorees were:

Erin Abbey soccer/track Millbury, Ohio
Jacob Miles tennis London, Ont.
Kara Shoemaker soccer Fort Wayne, Ind.
Carrie Reese cross country/track Mount Cory, Ohio
Rick Hammer cross country/track Hudson, Ohio
Liz Ballard soccer Huntington, Ind.
Alison Young soccer Fort Wayne, Ind.
Aaron Barker track Wyanet, Ill.
Renee Rupp track Blissfield, Mich.
Lindsey Van Gelder track Berne, Ind.

Athletically, HC produced 13 All-American honors representing nine student-athletes and 22 All-Mid-Central Conference (MCC) honors representing 17 student-athletes. In the All-Sport Standings for the MCC, the Foresters finished fourth out of eight teams with 58.5 points. Indiana Wesleyan University (88.5), Taylor University (87.5) and Bethel College (68) each finished ahead of HC.

2001-02 Forester NAIA All-Americans:

Danielle Vohs cross country/track (4) Huntington, Ind.
John Ngure cross country/track (2) Thaika, Kenya
Crissy Collins basketball Mooresville, Ind.
David Porter basketball Alexandria, Ind.
Brett Snodgrass basketball Versailles, Ind.
Adam Hill basketball Parker City, Ind.
Jenny Cook track Fowlerville, Mich.
Aimee Sullivan track Wheaton, Ill.
Erin Abbey track Millbury, Ohio

2001-02 Forester All-MCC athletes:

Danielle Vohs cross country/track Huntington, Ind.
Natalie Guenin cross country/track Wabash, Ind.
Jenny Cook cross country/track Fowlerville, Mich.
John Ngure cross country Thaika, Kenya
Cameron Norris cross country Huntington, Ind.
Erin Abbey track Millbury, Ohio
Luke Caldwell soccer Mansfield, Ohio
Kara Shoemaker soccer Fort Wayne, Ind.
Jacob Miles tennis London, Ont.
Crissy Collins volleyball/basketball Mooresville, Ind.
Jennifer Bechtel volleyball Goshen, Ind.
David Porter basketball Alexandria, Ind.
Brett Snodgrass basketball Versailles, Ind.
Adam Hill basketball Parker City, Ind.
Eric Ferrell basketball Kokomo, Ind.
Micah Beckwith golf Hillsdale, Mich.
Mark LeBeau baseball Wolcott, Ind.

The Huntington College Foresters compete in 14 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past six years, Huntington has produced 38 All-American honors and 60 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 60 academic concentrations. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in Huntington, Indiana.

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Members of the 3.453 GPA men’s tennis team include:

· Mark Richard Huntington, Ind.

· Matt Plett Rensselaer, Ind.

· Jacob Miles London, Ont.

· Brandon Ecker Richmond, Ind.

· Ben Eggleston Elkhart, Ind.

· Michael Christner Shipshewana, Ind.

· Matthew Purdy North Manchester, Ind.

· Matt Loshe Monroe, Ind.

· Bryan McDaniel Peoria, Ariz.

Huntington College is located in historic Huntington, Indiana.
Visit us at 2303 College Avenue, Huntington, IN 46750 (get map). Call (260) 356-6000.

For application and financial aid information,
please send e-mail toadmissions@huntington.edu

Comments? Suggestions? Not sure whom to contact?
E-mail John Paff, director of public relations