May 21, 2012
ST. LOUIS - Senior women's tennis player Hannah Eskerwas one of 10 Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes who earned the State Farm Good Neighbor Award for the 2012 spring season, as announced by Commissioner Doug Elgin. In an effort to honor the achievements of exceptional student-athletes, the Valley, in partnership with State Farm, created the MVC State Farm Good Neighbor Award.
"When it comes to Hannah, she is the epitome of a student-athlete," head coach Chris Hooversaid. "Not just student and not just athlete, but a great character, great person and a captain for me for an unprecedented three years. I have never had anybody become a captain as a sophomore, and I think that highlights how everyone views Hannah. It is a very worthy and deserving award, and I am proud she gets to go out with these accolades. These things are awfully nice, and they say a lot about a young person like Hannah. She will be an unbelievable ambassador for our team, athletic department and university for many years to come."
On the courts, the Effingham, Ill., native posted a 6-2 mark in MVC singles play and finished the season with an overall record of 17-15 in singles. With partner Stefanie Youngberg, the duo went 3-5 in Valley play and had 8-8 overall doubles record.
Esker, who was a member of the ISU honors program, was a recipient of the 2012 MVC Elite 18 Award and was also named to the 2012 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. She graduated earlier this month with a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average in actuarial science. Esker was also involved in the various community service projects and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
In order to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport, during the season of recognition. The Valley will recognize 10 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 30 honorees. Institutions select their Good Neighbor Award honorees.
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