Oct. 8, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
The student-athletes at Illinois State are celebrated not only for their athletic achievements, but for their academic successes, as well. In that spirit, 12 Illinois State student-athletes have been nominated for the student-athlete of the year awards. There are four nominees for the Doug Collins Male Student-Athlete of the Year and eight nominees for the Linda Herman Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The awards will be presented at the annual State Farm Student-Athlete Academic Excellence Banquet on Sunday, Oct. 21, in Redbird Arena.
The male student-athlete of the year award is named after Redbird basketball legend Doug Collins. During his three years at ISU, Collins averaged nearly 30 points per game and was a Consensus All-American selection in 1973. A member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team, Collins was a No. 1 draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers and enjoyed a nine-year career in the NBA and later spent eight seasons as a head coach. The nominees for the Doug Collins Male Student-Athlete of the Year award are Luke Baughman (baseball), Luka Marinkovic (tennis), Dan Simnick (football) and Mike Vandello (basketball).
Baughman was a member of the AFNI Honor Roll both semesters last year with identical 3.75 grade-point averages. He appeared in 12 games on the mound for the Redbirds with 10 starts. The 2007 graduate from Normal, Ill., had a 3.54 cumulativeGPA in elementary education.
Marinkovic was named to the 2007 MVC Scholar-Athlete team and was an AFNI Honor Roll selection both semesters last year. Marinkovic was a Valley All-Select team member and was part of the All-MVC No. 2 doubles team. The senior from Uzice, Serbia, has a 3.83 cumulative GPA in finance. He helped the men's tennis team accumulate the highest combined GPA of any ISU men's program in each semester.
Siminick was named to the AFNI Honor Roll both semesters last year. He was also presented the 2007 MQM Foundation Award for Citizenship and Service by Illinois State's Management and Quantitative Methods Department. Siminick appeard in all 13 games for the Redbirds in 2006 and recorded eight tackles. The senior from Naperville, Ill., has a 3.41 cumulative GPA in business administration.
Vandello was a member of the AFNI Honor Roll both semesters last year with identical 4.0 GPAs. He appeared in 27 games during his sophomore season and recorded career-highs of eight points and eight rebounds against Sacramento State. The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, has a 4.0 cumulative GPA in biological sciences.
The female student-athlete of the year award is named after longtime Illinois State coach and administrator Dr. Linda Herman. A pioneer in women's athletics, Herman had 30 years of dedicated service at ISU as a volleyball coach and interim director of athletics. During her tenure at ISU, the Redbirds won 117 Missouri Valley Conference titles and 16 conference all-sports trophies. The nominees for the Linda Herman Female Student-Athlete of the Year award are Kristi Cirone (basketball), Tove Fjordholm (gymnastics), Jennifer Klicka (swimming & diving), Shannon Nicholson (softball), Bethany Russ (soccer), Kari Staehlin (volleyball), Suzy Turner (cross country/track and field) and Devon Williams (track and field).
Cirone was a two-time member of the AFNI Honor Roll last year. The 2007 Jackie Stiles Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Cirone led the Redbirds in scoring, field goals, free throws, assists and steals. The junior Chicago, Ill., native has a 3.41 cumulative GPA in exercise science.
Fjordholm was a two-time member of the AFNI Honor Roll last season and earned a 4.0 GPA in the Spring 2007 semester. She competed in the floor exercise in all but two competitions and recorded a season-best score of 9.775 against Illinois. The 2007 graduate from Plano, Texas, had a 3.45 cumulative GPA in social work.
Klicka was a two-time member of the AFNI honor roll last year and achieved a 4.0 GPA in the Fall 2006 semester. She recorded Redbird top-10 times in the 200-, 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle. The 2007 graduate from Brookfield, Wis., had a 3.86 cumulative GPA in nursing.
Nicholson achieved a 4.0 GPA in both semesters last year. She was the Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week three times, as well as being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and the CoSIDA All-District V First Team. An Easton Second-Team All-American, Nicholson led the Redbirds in wins and ERA. The 2007 graduate from Chatham, Ill., had a 3.68 cumulative GPA in business teacher education.
Russ was a two-time member of the AFNI Honor Roll last year and had a 4.0 GPA in the Fall 2006 semester. She appeared in all 18 games and was fifth on the team with seven points on three goals and one assist. The senior from Grayslake, Ill., has a 3.54 cumulative GPA in health education.
Staehlin was a member of the AFNI Honor Roll both semesters last year and was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. She was a Second-Team All-Valley selection after averaging 3.58 kills per-game, the fourth-best total in the conference. The Tinley Park, Ill., native, has a 3.53 cumulative GPA in elementary education.
Turner was a two-time AFNI Honor Roll member last year and achieved a 4.0 GPA in the Spring 2007 semester. She placed second in the distance medley relay and eighth in the 3,000-meters at the 2007 State Farm MVC Indoor Championships and recorded an 11th place finish in the 10,000 meters at the MVC Outdoor Championships. The senior Palatine, Ill., native has a 3.78 cumulative GPA in biological sciences.
Williams was a two-time member of the AFNI Honor Roll last year and was named an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar. She was named the MVC Most Outstanding Female Athlete and Female Track Athlete at the MVC Indoor Championships after winning the 60- and 200-meter dashes. The senior from Oswego, Ill., has a 3.29 GPA in nursing.
