SEMO honors record 136 scholar athletes

Southeast Missouri State University athletes who excel in the classroom as well as on the playing fields were celebrated Wednesday during the school's annual Scholar Athlete Luncheon at the University Center.

A record 136 student-athletes with a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average were honored. The previous high was 121 in 2000.

The 136 scholar athletes represent 51 percent of the 267 student-athletes at Southeast and that percentage is also a new school record.

In addition to the 136 athletes, five cheerleaders, four Sundancers and 14 student-trainers were honored for having a 3.0 or higher GPA.

A record 15 scholar athletes have a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average: basketball players Derek Winans and Brett Hale; track athletes Jennifer Burke, Heather Jenkins, Kim Krieger, Laura VanHoevelaak, Kris Woolf and Dan Jones; softball players Kelly Birk, Christine Knobbe and Amy Thompson; soccer player Jen Cross; volleyball player Suzanne Gundlach; tennis player Kay Ehlke and golfer Brian Sheehan.

Southeast also had a league-high 13 student-athletes earn Ohio Valley Conference Medals of Honor which are given annually to the student-athletes who achieve the highest grade point average in a conference-sponsored sport.

OVC Medal of Honor winners for the 2000-2001 school year were: basketball players Matt Morris and Derek Winans; women's basketball player Kristy Roherty, cross country runner Dan Copeland; track athletes Jennifer Burke, Sarah Kaznica, Laura VanHoevelaak, Heath Spirz and Tammy Wenkel; golfer Bryan Johnson; soccer player Jennifer Cross; tennis player Kay Ehlke and volleyball player Suzanne Gundlach.

A complete list of the Southeast scholar athletes is in 'Scoreboard.'