NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head golf coaches Ray Kralis and Breanne Hall have announced the student-athletes that were chosen as the recipients for prestigious endowed scholarships, and this year, five deserving and outstanding student-athletes were selected for these honors.
The 2018-19 winners of the five endowed scholarships dedicated to golf include seniors Caitlin Sims, Trent Wallace, and David Rauer, and juniors Dave Perkins and Paige Seiser.
"We are forever grateful for those who have made such a key foundational impact on our program," said ISU head coach Ray Kralis. "These Redbird Golf endowments recognize golfing excellence, overall impact to the program, and game-changing contributions; Trent, Dave, and David are very worthy recipients of these three prestigious scholarships."
"Both Caitlin and Paige are very strong on the golf course, but just as good off the course," said ISU head coach Breanne Hall. "Those two set an example of what we want our younger players to look up to. They work equally as hard in the classroom as they do on the golf course, and I'm excited to see these two honored with this pair of prestigious endowed scholarships."
Durwood L. Boone Endowed Scholarship Recipient // David Rauer, senior, Tucson, Arizona
David has played in all five tournaments for the squad this season, and in his 15 rounds he is averaging 73.9 strokes per round. The 2018 MVC Newcomer of the Year has two top-20 finishes this season, including a sixth-place finish at the Little Rock Invitational.
This scholarship was established with an initial grant from the estate of the late L. Durwood Boone, whose playing skills inspired the start of the Redbird golf program in the 1930s. It was awarded to a Redbird golfer for the first time in 1995.
Helen Cushman Endowed Scholarship Recipient // Â Paige Seiser, junior, Waukee, Iowa
Paige is tied for the lead this season on the team with the low stroke total, with 1,089 – an average of 77.8 per round. She and Sims have identical 14-round scores. She has four top-25 finishes this season, including a fourth-place finish at the 2018 MVC Preview.
In January 1995 the Helen Cushman Endowed Scholarship Fund was established with a donation from Nina Chesebro and the late Pat Chesebro to benefit Illinois State's intercollegiate women's golf program and to honor their close friend, Helen Cushman. The pair decided to establish the fund prior to Pat Chesebro's death in appreciation to Cushman, who had introduced them to the game of golf.
James and Carole Mounier Endowed Scholarship Recipients  //  Dave Perkins, junior, East Peoria, Illinois // Caitlin Sims, senior, Athens, Illinois
Perkins stands second on the team in scoring average, and trails teammate Wallace by one stroke over 15 rounds during the year. He has three top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish in the fall opener at Wisconsin, and a sixth-place finish at the Firestone Invitational.
Sims, along with Seiser, are tied for the low average on the team, as each have 1,089 strokes for an average of 77.8 per round. She has finished inside of the top-20 three times during the fall season, including a second place finish at the fall finale – the Braun Intercollegiate hosted by Evansville.
The Mounier Scholarship was established in 2007 by James and Carole Mounier. Jim and Carole are proud Illinois State graduates who were active in Greek life-Sigma Nu and Delta Zeta. They both enjoy golf and believe the sport builds character and life success. The scholarship is awarded annually to a men's and a women's golf student-athlete each year.
D.A. Weibring Endowed Scholarship Recipient  //  Trent Wallace, senior, Joliet, Illinois
Trent leads ISU in total strokes on the season with 1,072, and is tied for the team lead in scoring average at 71.5 during the 15 rounds of the fall season. He has a season-best finish at the Little Rock Invitational, where he tied for second place overall, while tying for seventh place at the Badger Invitational to kick off the fall season.
Established in 1994 with proceeds from the first five D.A. Weibring Redbird Golf Classics, the scholarship -- named for the former Redbird golfer -- goes to a current Redbird golfer who meets specific eligibility criteria. The endowment became the first at Illinois State to be fully funded.
These endowed scholarships are among the 30 available to Illinois State student-athletes that are funded by private donors. For more information about establishing or contributing to an endowed scholarship, please call the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund office at (309) 438-3803. To read about each current endowment in more detail, visit the WSF website at www.weisbeckerscholarshipfund.com.
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