The Triangle

Issue date: 5/23/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs Student-athletes were honored for their academics May 22 in Behrakis Grand Hall.

Too often, student athletes are recognized for their athletic performance within their respective sports without being appreciated for their strong work ethic in the classroom.

Nevertheless, several students and teams were recognized for the academic achievements at the 12th annual Scholar-Athlete Ceremony May 22 in Behrakis Grand Hall.

Over 60 student-athletes were honored for having a cumulative GPA of over a 3.60.

"It shows that you can be at a Division I school at a major academic college," Senior Associate Athletic Director Johnson Bowie said. "Our overall academic GPA is a 3.15 for over 400 athletes."

Several Drexel teams, coaches and players were honored at a national level.

Men's basketball head coach James "Bruiser" Flint was honored with the NCAA National Academic Achievement Recognition Award, assistant women's soccer coach Don Overmier was presented with the NSCAA Team Academic Award and head women's softball coach Kim Camara earned the NFCA All-Academic Team List Award.

"It's a great celebration of what they've accomplished academically, individually and also as a team," Eric Zillmer, the director of athletics, said. "This is just as important, if not more important than athletic excellence."

The women's field hockey team had 13 players named to the 2007 ZAG/NFHCA All- Academic Team, Kimberly Kabernagel of women's soccer was named a District II Academic All-American and Ryan Hluschak earned the right to be an NFCA Academic All-American.

In addition, the women's field hockey team earned two Team Academic Excellence Awards for having the highest cumulative term GPA in the fall and winter terms with a 3.47 GPA and a 3.50 GPA, respectively.

"They are the ones entirely responsible for achieving their accolades," Rebecca Weidensaul, associate athletic director of academics and student services, said. "I think what we do well is that we recognize they have this talent and we want to nurture that talent. We have a lot of high achievers and intrinsically-driven students who are striving for purpose in their lives and the way they do that is by being the best student they can be."

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