July 25, 2007
Women's Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYCAMORE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CONTINUES STRONG RUN OF NATIONAL ACADEMIC HONORS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – For the sixth consecutive season, the Indiana State women’s basketball program has been noted for its high academic achievements under head coach Jim Wiedie. The Sycamore women’s basketball team finished ranked 13th in the most recent Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I in team grade point average with a stellar mark of 3.398.

It was a standout year for the Sycamores academically as Laura Rudolphi earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team honors while Rachel Maenpaa was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection. Rudolphi’s national nod marked the second consecutive season that a member of the Indiana State women’s basketball team earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors as Melanie Boeglin was a first team selection following the 2005-06 season.

“Our team makes it a goal each season to finish ranked as high nationally in the WBCA Honor Roll as possible,” Wiedie said. “The type of student-athlete we recruit into the program makes it possible for us to achieve this goal. The coaches as well as the Academic Enrichment Center staff hold our team to a high standard of excellence. We do everything possible to ensure our team’s success both on the court and in the classroom.”

Under Wiedie, the Sycamores have been outstanding in the classroom and on the court. This honor marks the sixth consecutive season that the team’s grade point average has ranked among the nation’s Top 15. In addition, Indiana State led the nation in academics following both the 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons. During that time, the Sycamores have won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Championships and have advanced to the finals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on three occasions.

Individually, three Sycamores, Kourtney Mennen, Melanie Boeglin and Laura Rudolphi have earned the prestigious Prairie Farms MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award while four different student-athletes have taken home CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. A total of five different Sycamores have been named an MVC Scholar Athlete First Team Selection while four others have earned either second team or honorable mention selections.

A total of four Missouri Valley Conference schools appeared in this season’s rankings as Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Evansville each joined the Sycamores in earning national accolades for their academic performance over the previous year.