Three Mountaineers Garner BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence
Awards
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 11, 2008) - West Virginia University's Alex
Ruoff, Alison Spiker and Reed Williams have been named winners of the
BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards, which recognizes
academic and athletic achievement, as well as community service, the BIG
EAST announced today.
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to one
student-athlete in each BIG EAST sport based on academic credentials,
athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the
community. Student-athletes who attained junior academic standing and a
minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 are eligible. The winners
were chosen by the BIG EAST faculty athletic representatives.
Ruoff, a junior from Spring Hill, Fla., was named a third-team ESPN The
Magazine Academic All-American, as selected by the College Sports
Information Directors of America, last season. A history major, Ruoff
started every game last season for the Mountaineers, averaging 13.8
points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game. He was third in the BIG EAST
in 3-point field goals made (2.74) and in 3-point field goal percentage
(40.9).
A redshirt-senior from Ripley, W.Va., Spiker captained last year's
BIG EAST championship cross country team that placed ninth at the NCAA
Championships, the squad's highest-ever finish at nationals. A biology
major, Spiker is a member of the WVU Honors Program, a WVU's Athletic
Director's Honor Roll honoree and a BIG EAST Academic All-Star.
A regular on the dean's list and the Athletic Director's Academic
Honor Roll, Williams was selected as a first-team ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-American last year. As a junior last season, the
Moorefield, W.Va., native led the Mountaineer defense with 107 tackles,
including a team-leading 48 unassisted tackles and a team-high three
forced fumbles. He was selected the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP,
when he finished with nine tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and
forced a fumble in the 48-28 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma.
2007-08 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award Winners
Sport Player, School
School
Baseball George Brown, St. John's
Men's Basketball Alex Ruoff, West Virginia
Women's Basketball Allie Quigley, DePaul
Men's Cross Country Max Smith, Providence
Women's Cross Country Alison Spiker, West Virginia
Field Hockey Leigh Fawcett, Syracuse
Football Reed Williams, West Virginia
Men's Golf Kyle Morris, Seton Hall
Women's Golf Brittany Lambertson, St. John's
Women's Lacrosse Caitlin McKinney, Notre Dame
Women's Rowing Laura Pearson, Notre Dame
Men's Soccer Jason Landers, St. John's
Women's Soccer Joanna Haig, Louisville
Softball Kristi Cunningham, Louisville
Men's Swimming & Diving Jeremy Stultz, Pittsburgh
Women's Swimming & Diving Catherine Whetstone, Rutgers
Men's Tennis Mahmoud Hamed, USF
Women's Tennis Dunja Antunovic, DePaul
Men's Track & Field Steven Hnat, Louisville
Women's Track & Field Tarah McKay, Louisville
Women's Volleyball Kimberley Todd, Marquette
