June 14, 2007

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky named the 12 recipients of the Postgraduate Scholarship Awards today. The conference annually presents the $4,000 Postgraduate Scholarship awards to graduates as selected by the Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Board of Directors.

2006-07 POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:
Heidi Krug, East Carolina, Volleyball
Sarah Fisher, Houston, Women's Soccer
Ian O'Connor, Marshall, Football
Jenna Kubesch, Memphis, Softball
Luke Stadel, Rice, Men's Track & Field
Kristin Schild, SMU, Women's Swimming & Diving
Jeff Cook, Southern Miss, Baseball
Jessica Traver, Tulane, Women's Soccer
Brandon Diles, Tulsa, Football
Lukasz Kwapisz, UAB, Men's Soccer
Dan Veenstra, UCF, Football
Olatunde Okusanya, UTEP, Women's Track & Field

Heidi Krug, East Carolina, Volleyball
With a 4.0 GPA, Krug excelled in the classroom and was also a two-time All-Conference USA honoree. The four-year letterwinner was a 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America selection, and earned third-team honors. The Kildeer, Ill., native earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology and will begin attending the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in August.

Sarah Fisher, Houston, Women's Soccer
Fisher was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougar soccer team, serving as captain her junior and senior seasons and earning MVP honors as a freshman. A four-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Medal winner, Fisher graduated from UH Summa Cum Laude. The Katy, Texas, native earned her Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and has been accepted to the University of Texas at Austin doctoral program in pharmacy.

Ian O'Connor, Marshall, Football
O'Connor is the second football student-athlete from Marshall to earn this scholarship. The punter/kicker won four varsity letters for the Thundering Herd and was a two-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The Knoxville, Tenn., native earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and will attend veterinary school at the University of Tennessee.

Jenna Kubesch, Memphis, Softball
Kubesch was a two-year letterwinner on the young Memphis softball squad. She earned C-USA Pitcher of Week honors three times during her career, was a back-to-back selection to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and received a spot on the inaugural Conference USA All-Academic Team. The Weimer, Texas, native graduated last May with a 3.94 GPA as a journalism (public relations) major. She has already completed one year toward a Master's of Science in Sport and Leisure Commerce.

Luke Stadel, Rice, Men's Track & Field
Stadel competed four years for the Owls in the discus and shot put and was a four-time NCAA regional qualifier. A two-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, Stadel also received the 2007 Bob Quin Award as the Rice senior male student-athlete of the year. A native of Osage City, Kan., he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. Stadel now plans to pursue a Masters of Arts in film studies.

Kristin Schild, SMU, Women's Swimming & Diving
A two-time Conference USA Diver of the Week selection, Schild won four letters for the two-time C-USA champion SMU Mustangs. She was listed among the NISCA/Speedo Top 40 divers. The Barrington, Ill., native was a psychology major at SMU with a minor in math and physics. She was the recipient of the Robert Stewart Hyer Scholar Award in physics. Schild plans to pursue a master's degree in environmental science.

Jeff Cook, Southern Miss, Baseball
Cook was a four-year letterwinner for the Golden Eagles baseball team. The outfielder still holds the school record for most home runs in a season and was a Baseball America Third Team All-America selection before being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003. Cook graduated with a Bachelor of Science in architect engineering technology in December 2005. He has already completed two semesters in the Southern Miss MBA program.

Jessica Traver, Tulane, Women's Soccer
Traver was a three-year letterwinner on the Green Wave women's soccer squad and a four-time selection to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The Dean's List student, with a cell/molecular biology major and psychology minor, received the Tulane Distinguished Scholars Academic Scholarship, Newcomb Class of 1940 Scholarship and the Jesse Jones/Mary Gibbs Scholarship. The Spring, Texas, native has applied to medical schools.

Brandon Diles, Tulsa, Football
Diles excelled in both the classroom and on the field during his four years at Tulsa. A four-year letterwinner as a running back, the senior was named team captain. Diles was a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy - the Academic equivalent to the "Heisman" - and is a two-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, while serving as TU's conference representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. The Abilene, Texas, native earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in finance and will enter the University of Oklahoma's Intercollegiate Athletics Administration program.

Lukasz Kwapisz, UAB, Men's Soccer
With a perfect 4.0 GPA, Kwapisz was selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America first team following both his junior and senior seasons with the Blazers. Kwapisz tied for fifth in C-USA with seven goals this season, while also earning the Outstanding Organic Chemistry Award and UAB's Senior Male Top Scholar Athlete. He was a four-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient. The Birmingham, Ala., native has applied to the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Dan Veenstra, UCF, Football
Veenstra was a four-year letterwinner playing on the Golden Knights' offensive line. He was a regular member of the Athletics Directors' Honor Roll and Dean's List during his career and was UCF's 2006 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Largo, Fla., native already earned his B.S./B.A. in business management and has already completed one semester in the UCF MBA Program.

Olatunde Okusanya, UTEP, Women's Track & Field
Okusanya was a four-year letterwinner as a sprinter on the Miner women's track and field squad. She was the 2006 Conference USA champion in the 400 meters and qualified for the NCAA Championships that season. Okusanya graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science. The El Paso native plans to continue her studies in chemistry at UTEP.