RELEASED:  Tuesday, November 4, 2008

UW-Eau Claire’s Lutz and UW-Platteville’s Scott Share Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Beth Lutz and UW-Platteville’s Jessica Scott have been named 2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women’s Cross Country Co-Scholar-Athletes.

Lutz, a senior from Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial), is double-majoring in physics and history education and boasts a 3.97 grade point average.  She is a two-time All-Academic selection from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and was named to the 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team.   Lutz is also a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and earned Dean’s List status and Academic Distinction at UW-Eau Claire every semester.

Lutz helped the Blugolds claim back-to-back WIAC championships and placed ninth individually at the conference meet in 2007 after finishing eighth in 2006.   She received All-America honors a year ago with a 29th-place finish at the national championship.  Lutz has secured UW-Eau Claire’s Rookie of the Year, Most Improved and Most Valuable awards.

A senior from Kiel, Wis., Scott carries a 3.70 grade point average and is majoring in biology/pre-physical therapy with a minor in chemistry.  She was named to the 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team and following the 2007 season, received USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.  Scott has appeared on her institution’s Dean’s List and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.

She placed third at the WIAC championship the past two seasons and helped the Pioneers record a program-best 12th place finish at the 2007 national meet.  A year ago, Scott was named UW-Platteville’s Most Valuable Player and received the Athlete of the Year Award.

She has volunteered with Kids Night Out, blood drives, leaf raking and roadside litter control.

Also nominated for this year’s award scholar-athlete award were:  UW-La Crosse’s Caitlin Helgesen (Sr., Green Bay, Wis./East) and Michelle Horn (Jr., Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North), UW-Oshkosh’s Jessie Scheer (Sr., De Pere, Wis.), UW-Stout’s Michelle Lewis (Sr., Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley) and UW-Superior’s Katee Rosburg (Sr., Superior, Wis.).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98.  Prior to this appointment, she functioned as Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from October, 1984 - September, 1996.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.