Wolverines Selected for Academic and Athletic Honors

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan seniors Tamara McBratney (Brockville, Ontario/Brockville Collegiate) and Christina Meyer (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) have been named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Central Region first team and are eligible for selection to the CRCA All-America squad. The pair are part of a large contingent of U-M rowers who have garnered a variety of postseason academic and athletic awards for the 2002 season.

Leah Ketcheson (Belleville, Ontario/Bayside SS), the 2002 Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year, and Erin Kopicki (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child HS) were both selected to the All-Central Region second team. The regional honor is a career first for each of the four athletes selected to the all-region teams.

For their accomplishments off the water, Kopicki, Kate Maxim (St. Helena, S.C./Langley HS) and Sophie Roberge (Mallorytown, Ontario/Thousand Islands) were named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes. While this is Kopicki's first appearance on the list, this is the second time both Maxim (2001) and Roberge (2000) have earned the honor.

Michigan also had 11 rowers named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. Seniors Jenny Bryant (Wainfleet, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic), Meyer and Liz Nelson (Newton, Mass./Newton North HS) all earned their third selection to the team. Joining them and earning their second conference academic award are Christina Ceo (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), Kopicki, Maxim and Roberge, while Emily Goodwin (Harbor Springs, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS), Heather Mandoli (Kelowna, British Columbia/KLO Secondary School), Katie Reynolds (Saint John, New Brunswick/Saint John) and Kristin Rosella (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills HS) all received their first Academic All-Big Ten honor.

The CRCA All-America and All-Region awards are designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of female rowers and coxswains. Honorees must meet eligibility rules as defined by her institution and have participated in at least 75 percent of the season's races in the first varsity boat, and the student-athlete's head coach must be a member in good standing of the CRCA.

For each region, up to 12 rowers and, if nominated, a coxswain received first team honors, with the same number eligible for second team honors. The CRCA All-America first and second teams will be selected by the regional chairpersons from the rowers who have received All-Region first team honors.

The National Scholar-Athlete award is designed to recognize the outstanding academic accomplishments of female rowers and coxswains. The criteria include meeting eligibility rules as defined by her institution, participating in her second, third or fourth year of eligibility, participating in at least 75 percent of the season's races in the varsity boat and owning a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade-point average through the fall semester of the current season, and the student-athlete's head coach must be a member in good standing of the CRCA.

For the 2002 season, 93 NCAA Division I student-athletes received the National Scholar-Athlete Award, while 67 Division II and III student-athletes received the award.

CRCA All-Central Region Teams

FIRST TEAM
Katy Bockelman, Kansas State
Krista Buzzell, Michigan State
Kaja Fiserova, Ohio State
Connie Kirsch, Ohio State
Tamara McBratney, Michigan
Christina Meyer, Michigan
Rachel Miller, Michigan State
Michelle Olsgard, Notre Dame
Melissa Poche, Minnesota
Ashlee Warren, Notre Dame
Marianne Waters, Wisconsin
Sarah Zulewski, Iowa
Cassandra Weddel, Michigan State

SECOND TEAM
Katherine Burnett, Notre Dame
Kate Gay, Michigan State
Tanya Grigorieva, Ohio State
Leah Ketcheson, Michigan
Erin Kopicki, Michigan
Natalie Ladine, Notre Dame
Josie McClellen, Kansas State
Jenny Pofahl, Wisconsin
Melissa Schink, Iowa
Franziska Schubert, Ohio State
Erin Streff, Minnesota

CRCA National Scholar-Athletes (Central Region)

NAME	SCHOOL	GPA	MAJOR
Line Espedal	Indiana	3.62	History
Margaret Shelsy	Indiana	3.58	Elementary Education
Angela Todd	Indiana	3.63	Biology
Kathleen Lehman	Iowa	3.79	Astronomy
Julia Kirkham	Iowa	3.66	Exercise Science
Jessica Goetz	Iowa	3.82	Biomedical Engineering
Alyssa Adams	Kansas State	3.55	Architectural Engineering
Erin Kopicki	Michigan	3.51	Economics/Italian
Kate Maxim	Michigan	3.50	English
Sophie Roberge	Michigan	3.53	French/English
Shelley Miller	Minnesota	3.92	Finance and Entrepreneurial
Libby Sharrow	Minnesota	3.74	Political Science
Erin Straff	Minnesota	3.67	Geography
Beth Hornby	Minnesota	3.51	Journalism
Rebecca Luckett	Notre Dame	3.89	Pre-Professional Studies/ Computer Applications
Diane Price	Notre Dame	3.91	College of Arts/Letters
Natalie Ladine	Notre Dame	3.51	College of Science
Katie Besson	Notre Dame	3.51	Government
Katherine Burnett	Notre Dame	3.57	Biology
Cassie Markstahler	Notre Dame	3.54	Accounting
Natalie Legge	Ohio State	3.57	Exercise Science
Kaja Fiserova	Ohio State	3.52	German
Erin Buchanan	Wisconsin	3.54	Education
Jennifer Pofahl	Wisconsin	3.90	Molecular Biology