Eight Big 12 Scholar-Athletes Recognized with Postgraduate Scholarships
June 21, 1999 | Outdoor Track
June 11, 1999
DALLAS, Texas -- Eight Big 12 scholar-athletes have been selected to receive a $2,500 postgraduate scholarship, awarded annually by the Big 12 Conference, the league announced today.
The Big 12 Conference created the award to be given to male and female scholar-athletes that show excellence in the classroom as well as in their respective sports.
A committee of three faculty representatives, a senior woman administrator and a director of athletics determined the number of recipients to be given awards. Criteria of eligibility to receive the award included a minimum cumulative grade point average of a 3.000 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate competition at the scholar-athlete's respective institution, and completion of athletics eligibility. The scholar-athletes also must be graduating from their respective institutions within 15 months of their selection as postgraduate scholarship recipients and are expected to enroll in graduate school within two years after they graduate.
1999 marks the third year the Big 12 Conference has given the postgraduate scholarship award to male and female scholar-athletes. Twenty-seven scholar-athletes have been recognized with $67,500 to promote academics and further education.
The eight Big 12 scholar-athletes recognized in 1999 are overly qualified for the scholarship. They represent the best of the best from their schools and the conference.
Kate Benson, a four-time letter winner for the University of Nebraska women's basketball team, completed her undergraduate degree in December 1997 and her MBA in May 1999 while playing basketball and maintaining a 3.703 GPA. The native of Prairie Village, Kan., will be heading to the University of Kansas in August 1999 to begin law school. Benson, a 1996 Phillips 66 classroom champ, and an academic all-conference selection in 1997 and 1998, was actively involved with the Husker's Student Athlete Advisory Board and the conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
As a four-year first team academic all-conference selection, Oklahoma State's Kourtney Bower knows how to get it done. Whether it was shooting three-pointers and dishing out assists on the basketball court or maintaining a 3.80 GPA, Bower shined on and off the court for the Cowgirls. The Midwest City, Okla., native sits at 11th on OSU's all-time 3-pointers (51) list and 10th on its all-time assists (214) list. She was a four-year letter winner for OSU and will graduate in May 2000 with a degree in health promotions.
Heather Burroughs completed a stellar academic and athletic career at the University of Colorado in May 1999. Burroughs, from Kansas City, Mo., won 12 varsity letters as a cross country and track athlete for the Buffaloes. Not only a cross country All-American in 1994, 1995 and 1998, Burroughs was voted 1995 Big Eight Newcomer of the Year, won the Leo Hill Academic Award in 1999 and was an academic all-conference first-team selection from 1995-98. In 1995, Burroughs was the 3,000 outdoor meter champion for the Big Eight Conference.
Between skiing and running cross country for the University of Colorado, Xan Courville made time to excel in the classroom. Her academic and athletic honors include CU sportswoman of the year for skiing in 1999; Athletic Department 4.000 Club, 1997-99; member of the 1998-1999 national championship team, and maintaining a 3.91 cumulative GPA. Courville, a native of Winter Park, Colo., graduated in May 1999 with degrees in kinesiology and psychology. She plans to attend medical school in fall 2000.
Bobbi Crill's list of accomplishments is long. As a member of the Texas Tech track team, Crill's events included hurdles and pole vault. She ranks with the elite on the Red Raiders all-time top women's outdoor performers in the 100-meter hurdles and on its all-time top women's indoor performers in the 55-meter hurdles. Crill, a member of several honoraries and a recipient of several scholarships, was an Academic All-Big 12 first team selection in 1996-1998 and a member of the Big 12 Commissioner's honor roll in 1996-1998. Crill, who is a native of San Angelo, Texas, graduates this summer with a cumulative GPA of 3.97 in merchandising and a minor in marketing.
Kansas State's Emily Diederich, from Roeland Park, Kan., was the 1998 Big 12 indoor champion in the 800 meters, setting a personal record of 2:07.18. A first team academic All-American in 1997 and 1998, Diederich was also a NCAA qualifier. In 1999 she finished first at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays and finished third in the 800 meters at the 1999 Big 12 outdoor championships. Diederich, a kinesiology major, was a first-team Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight selection in 1996 with a 4.0 GPA.
The lone male scholarship recipient, Texas A&M diver Mark Naftanel has had a spectacular career for the Aggies and is considered the most decorated A&M athlete ever. A seven-time Big 12 champion, three-time Big 12 diver of the year and holder of every Aggie diving record, Naftanel is also an NCAA academic All-American, 1997-99 and the 1999 A&M scholar-athlete of the year. Currently, Naftanel maintains a 3.918 cumulative GPA in biomedical science and psychology. From Austin, Texas, Naftanel was also a member of the 1998 and 1999 U.S. National Team and has a good possibility of being on the 2000 Olympic team.
University of Missouri's track and field standout Nikki Webber completes the list of 1999 Big 12 postgraduate scholarship recipients. Webber's career with the Tigers included being a member of the 1993 conference champion 4x800 and 4x400 relay team, a national qualifier for the 800 meters in 1993 and a Mizzou school record holder in the 800 meters. Webber, a member of several honoraries and an academic All-American in 1994 and 1995, graduated in education and counseling psychology with a 4.008 GPA. Currently, she is working on her doctorate in counseling and sport psychology at Missouri.
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