July 9, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. -
With his blocked shots ending up three-to-four rows deep in the Redbird Arena stands, sophomore Jackie Carmichael has established himself as an Illinois State fan-favorite, which makes him an easy choice to receive the 2010 Bob and Audrey Weber Endowed Scholarship, named after a pair of longtime Redbird fans.
The Webers bought their first ISU season tickets in 1974, and Bob has continued to support the Redbirds after Audrey's death in 1991. The scholarship was actually funded from the whole Weber family, which includes five children and 11 grandchildren.
Head men's basketball coach Tim Jankovich understands the impact of fan support, and values the commitment of the Weber family.
"Obviously, Bob and Audrey Weber, along with their children, have been great supporters of Redbird basketball over the years," said Jankovich. "I've said repeatedly in my time here at Illinois State how important fan support is to our overall success."
Carmichael set the school standard for blocked shots by a freshman with 46 in his first season with the Redbirds. A member of the 2010 Valley All-Freshman Team, Carmichael averaged 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He collected eight double-digit scoring games on the season, including a 20-point effort at Evansville which also landed him the Valley's Newcomer of the Week Award.
"It is a huge honor to be selected for something like the Weber Scholarship," said Carmichael. "I just love when the crowd gets into the game when you block a shot, or whatever. I love the Illinois State fans and I'm looking to do anything I can do to get them fired up. We want them to make some noise."
The Bob and Audrey Weber Endowed is one of 23 endowed scholarships available to Illinois State student-athletes that are funded by private donors. It is also one of eight fully endowed scholarships in athletics.
For more information about supporting this, or any other Illinois State University endowment scholarships, call The Redbird Club office at (309) 438-3803.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
Bob and Audrey Weber Endowed Scholarship Recipients
2010 - Jackie Carmichael
2009 - Nicolle Lewis
2008 - Osiris Eldridge
2007 - Ashley Sandstead
2006 - Mike Vandello
