Senior Zora Skrabalova earned recognition for her excellence in the classroom and on the court as the senior center for the Illinois State University womens basketball team was an honorable mention selection for the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team. The leagues womens basketball media relations coordinators elected a five-player first team a six-player second team and nine honorable mention from a list of 39 qualified nominees.
In an election similar to the one conducted regionally and nationally by College Sports Information Directors of America, student-athletes qualify if they are in at least their second year at their school and their second year of eligibility while carrying at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average. Skrabalova, a junior college transfer in 2002, is a psychology major with the 3.30 GPA who also leads the Valley in field goal percentage this season.
Creighton placed two seniors on the first team--Laura Spanheimer and Dayna Finch--and they were joined by Wichita State senior Angela Buckner, Bradley junior Genny Mueller and Indiana State sophomore Melanie Boeglin.
The second team featured two players from league-leader Southwest Missouri State--junior Nicole Lehman and sophomore Kari Koch--along with a pair from Southern Illinois, senior Katie Berwanger and junior Danette Jones. Evansville senior Jamie Gray and Drake senior Allison Burchill completed the second team.
- 30 -2004 Missouri Valley Conference
Womens Basketball Scholar-Athlete
First-Team
Melanie Boeglin, Indiana State, So., 3.82,Business
Angela Buckner, Wichita State, Sr., 3.66, Sports Admin
Dayna Finch, Creighton, Sr., 3.61, Psychology
Genny Mueller, Bradley, Jr., 3.91, Health Science
Laura Spanheimer, Creighton, Sr., 3.74, Exercise Science
Second-Team
Katie Berwanger, Southern Illinois, Sr., 3.83, Art & Design
Allison Burchill, Drake, Sr., 3.80, Accounting
Jamie Gray, Evansville, Sr., 3.16, Sports Management
Danette Jones, Southern Illinois, Jr., 3.82, Elementary Ed
Kari Koch, SMS, So., 3.10, Recreation & Leisure Studies
Nicole Lehman, SMS, Jr., 4.00, Dietetics
Honorable Mention
Emily Berry, UNI, Jr., 3.65, Math Education
Martha Chaput, Drake,Sr., 3.74, Radio/TV
K.C. Cowgill, SMS, Jr., 3.60, Physical Ed
Mandy Kappel, Drake, Sr., 3.19, Pharmacy
Alissa Kirby, Evansville, Jr., 3.36, Biology
Sarah Klaassen, SMS, Jr., 3.90, English Ed
Dana Pinkston, Southern Illinois, Sr., 3.50, Recreation
Zora Skrabalova, Illinois State, Sr., 3.30, Psychology
Lisa Verhoff, Indiana State-3.90, Physical Ed
