INDIANAPOLIS – Five fall-sport student-athletes, including three from the University of Southern Indiana, have been selected as 2011-12 Great Lakes Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Southern Indiana volleyball standout Danielle LaGrange (Santa Claus, Ind./Heritage Hills) and cross country runners Brendan Devine (Bethel, N.Y./Monticello) and Jackie Henderson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) were honored for their academic and athletic achievements, as well as soccer stars Kevin Donnelly (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) of Northern Kentucky and Megan Wingenbach (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) of Quincy.
The league selects one student-athlete in each conference sport to be designated the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is based upon athletic accomplishments, both team and individual, and academic performance in the season upon which the award is based. Each conference member has the opportunity to nominate one individual from its team for the award. Nominees must have a cumulative grade point average which meets Academic All-America standards (3.30), and freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible for the award. The voting is completed by each member institution’s Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR).
LaGrange, a middle blocker for Southern Indiana, earned her accolades in the classroom following an All-America performance on the court and a strong effort with her studies. With a 3.812 GPA this past fall in kinesiology, LaGrange was tabbed the GLVC Player of the Year and a second-team AVCA All-American. The senior was selected as a first-team All-Conference honoree and an All-Midwest Region first-teamer by both AVCA and Daktronics. LaGrange, who led her team to a 20-11 record overall and a 14-4 mark in league action, started in all 31 matches in which she played and ranked second (4.61) and third (3.87) in the conference in points and kills per set, respectively. Additionally, she was named the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week on Oct. 25. The first-team Academic All-District IV honoree carries a cumulative GPA of 3.598.
A history major carrying a 3.958 grade-point average in the fall, USI’s Devine excelled on the course this past season. Devine was the first GLVC runner to cross the finish line at the conference championships , leading the Screaming Eagles to the GLVC crown as well. Following the conference event, Devine was tabbed as GLVC Runner of the Year and first-team All-Conference. He went on to be named All-Midwest Region with an 11th-place individual finish and second-place team finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Devine, who carries a 3.752 cumulative GPA, also crossed the line 67th at the NCAA Championships, helping his team to a seventh-place result overall.
Henderson earns her second consecutive Fall Scholar Athlete award after a rewarding year on the cross country circuit. The USI senior earned individual titles at two meets in the fall before racing to the conference title at the GLVC Championships. Her efforts also led the Screaming Eagles to the conference crown, following which she was named the GLVC Runner of the Year. A mathematics major will a 3.470 GPA last fall, Henderson went on to finish fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Henderson, who is also working toward minors in statistics and finance, carries a 3.662 cumulative GPA.
A defender on the Northern Kentucky men’s soccer team, Donnelly earned a perfect 4.000 GPA last fall while working toward a double major in international studies and political science. He also carries a minor in French and boasts a 3.916 cumulative GPA at NKU. Donnelly has been recognized on several occasions for his efforts on and off the soccer pitch. On the field, the senior was tabbed an All-GLVC second-team selection, while earning both NSCAA and Daktronics All-Midwest Region first-team honors. A member of the NKU President’s List, Donnelly was also a NCAA Division II Scholar All-American second-team choice and a member of the Capital One Academic All-District squad. He started in all 19 contests for the Norse last fall and helped them to a 14-5 mark overall and an 11-3 record in GLVC action, good for second place in the standings.
A midfielder with a 3.93 overall GPA, Wingenbach is an aspiring elementary education teacher. While earning first-team All-Conference accolades as well as NSCAA and Daktronics second-team All-Region honors, Wingenbach managed a 3.92 GPA last fall. Named to the NSCAA Academic All-Region squad, she also helped her team to a fourth-place finish in the GLVC at 11-4-0 and guided the Hawks to the GLVC Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship game and NCAA Tournament before ending the season 15-5-2. Wingenbach started in all 22 games contested and was a team anchor on both sides of the ball. She helped the Hawks to a school-record 14 shutouts while netting four goals, including three game-winners, as well as three assists on the season.
The recipients of the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the remaining league sports will be announced in June. In all, 15 student-athletes are awarded the honor by the league annually.