June 13, 2007

IRVING, Texas - - Two Tiger female student-athletes were named recipients of Conference USA Scholar Athletes it was announced by the league office Wednesday. Women's tennis graduate Christina Wieser was named one of four women's tennis honorees, while softball's Jenna Kubesch received the softball award for a second straight season.

To earn a Scholar-Athlete award, individuals are nominated based on academic achievement, athletic achievement and service. The winners are then approved by the Board of Directors.

In all, Rice led C-USA with five Scholar-Athlete winners, while Tulsa had four and SMU had three honorees. Five student-athletes were repeat winners, including Kubesch.

Wieser graduated from Memphis in May, having received both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University over her four-year career. She received a bachelor's degree in Marketing Management in December of 2006 before completing her MBA in May. A four-year letterwinner in tennis, Wieser was voted to the Conference USA All-Academic team as a senior and battled off-season knee surgery between her junior and senior seasons while serving as the lone upperclassman on a team with three freshmen.

Kubesch will also be a two-time Tiger, having completed her bachelor's degree in communications in May of 2006. She is currently completing her master's degree and was voted a Co-SIDA Academic District First Team honoree both her junior and senior seasons. The Weimar, Texas native ranks in the top 10 in nearly every pitching category and is the first Memphis pitcher to record more than 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in a season. She finished the regular season with a 23-10 record and a 2.24 ERA with 225 strikeouts. She was a three-time C-USA Pitcher of the Week award winner and helped her Lady Tiger team to the program's first-ever appearance in the C-USA tournament in just its second year of existence.

At the league championships, Kubesch earned the Tigers' first victory ever in the C-USA Championship with a complete game one-hitter against defending champion Tulsa. In the tournament, Kubesch appeared in all three games and had a .79 ERA with 18 K's in 17 and 2/3 innings of work. Against East Carolina, Kubesch retired the first 27-batters in a row before losing the perfect game in the 9th inning, snapping her streak of 15 and 2/3 consecutive innings of no-hit softball.