Editorial

SEMO STUDENT ATHLETES MAKE THE GRADE

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As long as there has been college athletics, so too has there been the stereotype of the typical dumb jock. But at Southeast Missouri State University, that stereotype is being challenged.

Southeast's athletes have not only proven to be successful on the playing field, they've also demonstrated that they are extremely talented in the classroom.

Nearly 40 percent of the student athletes at Southeast have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale), and those 96 athletes were honored recently during the annual Southeast Scholar Athlete Luncheon at the Show Me Center.

Also honored were 10 Sundancers (the school's spirit group), six cheerleaders and seven student trainers.

"The fact that nearly 40 percent of our athletes have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is outstanding," said Southeast's athletic director, Carroll Williams. "It shows the tremendous dedication of the student athletes, and it shows that our coaches are recruiting not just good athletes, but good scholar athletes."

Nine of the student athletes had perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point averages: Nathan McGuire and Archie Stambush in baseball; John Litzelfelner in golf; Adam Esterline in football; Carolyn Egbert and Hazel Stricker in gymnastics; Celeste Ramsey and Rebecca Shull in women's track; and Erin Holt in volleyball.

The latest NCAA graduation report shows that Southeast athletes graduate at a rate of 53 percent, compared to 37 percent for the student body as a whole.

Seven Southeast athletes also received Ohio Valley Conference Medals of Honor, which go to those who achieve the highest GPA for the 1996-97 school year in an OVC-sponsored sport.

Southeast Medal of Honor recipients were Reggie Crisp (men's basketball); Christine Engelhardt and Erin Frazier (softball); Rebecca Shull and Heather Fisher (women's track); and Mandy Edgington and Cathy Prichard (volleyball). All had a 4.0 GPAs.

Engelhardt also is the school's first-ever Division I GTE Academic All-American first-team selection.

To everybody who merited scholar athlete recognition, here's congratulations on a job well done. There is no doubt Southeast sports programs embody what the term student athlete should be all about.