IWU's Katz Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

June 30, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan women's golfer Kristi Katz is one of 58 student-athletes nationwide who participated in spring sports to be awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

Katz (Park Ridge, Ill., Maine South HS), who graduated in May with a 3.83 grade-point average as double major in English (writing) and political science, is one of seven women chosen from Division III schools and the only women's golfer selected. As a postgraduate, Katz plans to pursue a sports law program at Michigan State University.

Katz finished 29th in the 2008 NCAA Division III championships as the Titans placed fourth in the national meet and she finished fourth in the 2007 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet, won by Wesleyan for the sixth straight year.

Katz, who tied for team low this season with an 81.2 stroke average over 24 rounds, was named to the National Golf Coaches Association all-Central Region team in 2007 and 2008.

The NCAA awards 58 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each to 29 male student-athletes and 29 female student-athletes who participated in spring sports, which included men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's lacrosse, women's rowing, baseball, and softball.

In addition to the spring sport honorees, the NCAA also awards 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and winter sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or participates, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have a 3.2 overall GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated.

The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.  The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

Nominations are made by each school's faculty athletics representatives and selections are made three times each academic year. Candidates are screened by seven regional selection committees and the award recipients are selected by the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206