EIU Wins Four OVC Academic Team Awards

OVC HONOR ROLL RELEASE

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois student-athletes posted four of the highest team grade point averages for the previous school year as the Ohio Valley Conference announced its 2008 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Team Academic Achievement Awards.

The Panther men’s and women’s basketball teams along with men’s and women’s track teams posted the highest team GPA in their respective sport giving EIU a conference best four team awards. Morehead State was awarded the OVC Institutional Academic Award for the greatest percentage of its athletes on the honor roll.

The OVC announced the 865 athletes were named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the second highest total in award history. To be listed, recipients must have achieved at least a 3.25 GPA and have been eligible and on the team throughout the competitive season in their chosen NCAA-sponsored sport or sports. That number also included 51 student-athletes in non-sponsored OVC sports which included swimming and diving and women’s rugby for Eastern Illinois.

A total of 151 EIU student-athletes earned OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll mention.

The OVC also recognized 116 student-athletes as OVC Medal of Honor winners. The Medal of Honor is given annually to the student-athlete who achieves the highest grade point average in a conference sponsored sport. This season all 116 student-athletes maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA for the year.

Eastern Illinois Medal of Honor recipients included: Matt Moore and Brian Morrell from baseball; Jake Byrne from men’s basketball; Ashley Thomas from women’s basketball; Meghan Kennedy and Amy LeJeune from women’s cross country; Jordan Campanella and Alain Marcelin from football; Matthew Davis from men’s golf; Katie Imburgia from women’s golf; Kellie Floyd and Kaylin Lorbert from women’s soccer; Jeff Rutherford and Chris Thomas from men’s tennis; Angela Stoczynski from women’s track and field.