On Tuesday afternoon, 12 Tritons were honored in an on-campus ceremony as part of National Student-Athlete Day. Two athletes were selected from each of the six colleges to receive recognition for their academic accomplishments while taking part in the often rigorous schedule demanded by UCSD athletics.
‘I’m always trying to figure out how they can do all these things in a 24-hour period,’ said Director of Athletics Earl Edwards, who delivered the keynote comments at the event. ‘You look at practice schedules, you look at studying, you look at community service and many of them have jobs as well. They’re not only doing it, but they’re doing it extremely well. That’s the most impressive thing; that they’re successful at such a high level, managing a lot of different things.’
The honorees were accompanied by coaches and faculty members who made an impact on their respective careers. Each student athlete received a plaque for their accomplishments.
‘I was very honored,’ Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Anne Schnecker said. Schnecker, a member of the fencing team, maintained a 3.9 GPA while also helping the women’s fencing team to a conference championship in 2009.
‘It wasn’t an award I was trying to win or anything, but I always try hard at anything I undertake,’ Schnecker said. ‘It meant a lot to me to get recognized.’
Sixth College junior Linda Rainwater, the current UCSD record-holder and California Collegiate Athletic Association champion in the heptathlon and high jump, was also honored.
‘It’s hard to balance having long practices during the day, and then you’re tired when you get home, but you still have to do homework,’ Rainwater said. ‘It’s nice to get recognized for your efforts, especially at UCSD where we have so many good student athletes.’
In addition to Rainwater and Schnecker, honorees included Earl Warren College senior Kelvin Kim (men’s basketball); Warren College sophomore Jessica Ferguson (women’s swimming and diving); Thurgood Marshall College senior Leah Murphy (women’s track and field); Marshall College junior Vincent Nguyen (men’s tennis); John Muir College junior Nicole Saari (softball); Muir College junior Karam Badran (men’s crew); Revelle College senior Jessica McGovern (women’s soccer); Revelle College junior Tony Choi (men’s soccer); Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Ian Bausback (men’s water polo) and Sixth College senior Bryan Dieffenbach (men’s track and field).
‘What I’d like all the students, faculty and staff to recognize is the commitment that the student athletes make,’ Edwards said. ‘It’s a commitment to the athletic program, it’s a commitment to the university and it’s a commitment to themselves, being the best that they can be. Those are the types of individuals that we all want to go on and contribute to society as a whole.’
Readers can contact Joe Tevelowitz at [email protected].
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On Tuesday afternoon, 12 Tritons were honored in an on-campus ceremony as part of National Student-Athlete Day. Two athletes were selected from each of the six colleges to receive recognition for their academic accomplishments while taking part in the often rigorous schedule demanded by UCSD athletics.
‘I’m always trying to figure out how they can do all these things in a 24-hour period,’ said Director of Athletics Earl Edwards, who delivered the keynote comments at the event. ‘You look at practice schedules, you look at studying, you look at community service and many of them have jobs as well. They’re not only doing it, but they’re doing it extremely well. That’s the most impressive thing; that they’re successful at such a high level, managing a lot of different things.’
The honorees were accompanied by coaches and faculty members who made an impact on their respective careers. Each student athlete received a plaque for their accomplishments.
‘I was very honored,’ Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Anne Schnecker said. Schnecker, a member of the fencing team, maintained a 3.9 GPA while also helping the women’s fencing team to a conference championship in 2009.
‘It wasn’t an award I was trying to win or anything, but I always try hard at anything I undertake,’ Schnecker said. ‘It meant a lot to me to get recognized.’
Sixth College junior Linda Rainwater, the current UCSD record-holder and California Collegiate Athletic Association champion in the heptathlon and high jump, was also honored.
‘It’s hard to balance having long practices during the day, and then you’re tired when you get home, but you still have to do homework,’ Rainwater said. ‘It’s nice to get recognized for your efforts, especially at UCSD where we have so many good student athletes.’
In addition to Rainwater and Schnecker, honorees included Earl Warren College senior Kelvin Kim (men’s basketball); Warren College sophomore Jessica Ferguson (women’s swimming and diving); Thurgood Marshall College senior Leah Murphy (women’s track and field); Marshall College junior Vincent Nguyen (men’s tennis); John Muir College junior Nicole Saari (softball); Muir College junior Karam Badran (men’s crew); Revelle College senior Jessica McGovern (women’s soccer); Revelle College junior Tony Choi (men’s soccer); Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Ian Bausback (men’s water polo) and Sixth College senior Bryan Dieffenbach (men’s track and field).
‘What I’d like all the students, faculty and staff to recognize is the commitment that the student athletes make,’ Edwards said. ‘It’s a commitment to the athletic program, it’s a commitment to the university and it’s a commitment to themselves, being the best that they can be. Those are the types of individuals that we all want to go on and contribute to society as a whole.’
Readers can contact Joe Tevelowitz at [email protected].
