June 14, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State golfer Jeff Kellen was awarded the 2010 D.A. Weibring Endowed Scholarship Monday, after being recognized for his growing merit within ISU academics and athletics.
The Rockford, Ill., native excelled during the 2009-10 season as he was an All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and was awarded the MVC Golfer of the Week Award twice (Oct. 14, 2009, Feb. 24, 2010). Kellen was also named the Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 21, 2009). The Redbird senior competed in 30 rounds in 11 tournaments and shot a season stroke average of 74.9. Kellen placed first at the D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate after firing a 1-under-par 209 (72-68-69) and tied for ninth place at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, posting a 23-over-par 233 (82-75-76).
The Weibring Endowed Scholarship was created in 1994 with proceeds from the D.A. Weibring Redbird Classic. The scholarship is named after the former Redbird golfer, Donald Albert Weibring, Jr., who starred on the PGA Tour and is currently a member of the Champions Tour.
Kellen is honored to receive the award, and looks forward to another season with ISU.
"It is an unbelievable honor to be the recipient of the Weibring Scholarship," Kellen said. "Mr. Weibring set an example that all Redbird golfers since have sought to uphold and I hope to perform in a manner that will make me worthy of this award. This year the golf team has a tall task ahead of us. Coming off a season where we lost four important members of the team, it will be important for everyone to step-up their game in order for us to be successful. However, I am optimistic because I know everyone is working hard to make this year one of the best in Redbird history."
The endowment rewards a Redbird golf student-athlete who excels both in academics and athletics. In 1995, it became the first athletics endowment to become fully funded at Illinois State.
In the summer of 2007, the Illinois State Board of Trustees approved the renaming of the Illinois State Golf Course to Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in honor of Weibring. Kellen is the 15th recipient of the award.
The D.A. Weibring Endowed Scholarship is one of 23 endowed scholarships available to Illinois State student-athletes that are funded by private donors. It is also one of the eight fully-endowed scholarships in athletics.
For more information about supporting Illinois State University endowments for student-athletes, call The Redbird Club office at (309) 438-3803.
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