The Missouri Valley Conference awarded two Illinois State student-athletes with Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors Wednesday.
Rhett Hillard of the mens track and field team and Liina Suurvarik of the womens tennis team received the accolades, the fourth time for Suurvarik and third time for Hillard.
Suurvarik, a senior from Tallin, Estonia, won at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles to lead the Redbirds to a 6-1 victory over Southwest Missouri State on April 17, and ISUs second-straight regular-season conference title. Suurvarik, who carries a cumulative 3.92 grade-point average in international business, combined with teammate Katri Miller to defeat SMSs Marta Rubina and Elizabeth Garza, 8-3, to complete the regular season with a league doubles record of 9-0 and an overall mark of 30-4.
Liina is really amazing, womens tennis head coach Chris Hoover said. When youre that good, its only fitting that she gets recognized in this manner. Im really proud of her in every way, shape and form.
Hillard, a junior from LeRoy, Ill., won the shot put with a throw of 55-0 3/4 during the Redbird Classic in Normal on April 17. Hillard, who carries a cumulative 3.15 grade-point average in business administration, also captured the hammer throw crown with a mark of 176-4.
Rhett is an outstanding young man who has his priorities set, assistant track and field coach for throws Brent Chumbley said. He knows what he wants to do during college, he knows what he wants to do after college and hes doing what he has to do to get there. He takes every aspect of being a student-athlete seriously.
To qualify for Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00, have completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing. In addition to the academic qualifications, student-athletes are evaluated on their athletic performance for a one-week period.
