Three Mustangs claim C-USA Academic Awards

[PonyPride]

Three Mustangs claim C-USA Academic Awards
Ackerson, Basel, Shuleva honored for academic, athletic achievement

June 10, 2008


DALLAS (SMU) - Three SMU student-athletes - women's golfer Kate Ackerson, breaststroker/individual medley specialist Jennifer Basel of the women's swimming and diving team and midfielder Ben Shuleva from the men's soccer team - were named Tuesday by Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky as the recipients of 2007-08 Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards.

The awards are presented annually to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport. The award is based in academic achievement (GPA), athletic achievement and service.

Ackerson, a junior business major from Allen, Texas, boasts a 3.98 GPA and was named to the 2007 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-America Scholar Team and ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District Team in 2007. A two-time All-Conference USA honoree, Ackerson has three career C-USA Golfer of the Week awards and finished third at the 2007 C-USA Championships.

A junior mathematics and mechanical engineering major from Sterling, Va., Basel holds a 3.94 GPA and was a 2008 Conference USA All-Academic selection. Basel was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in each of the last three years, and this season helped guide the Mustangs to a 5-3 dual record and their 12th straight conference championship. At the C-USA Championships, Basel won the 400 individual medley, setting new conference and pool records. She also set new conference and pool records in the 200 breaststroke and finished second in the 200 IM in a new season-best time.

Shuleva, a senior finance major this year from Dublin, Ohio, is one of the most decorated men's soccer players in years. The defensive anchor of the SMU midfield, Shuleva was drafted by Major League Soccer's FC Dallas following a senior season in which he was named third-team Academic All-America by CoSIDA and ESPN The Magazine, first-team All-Conference USA, Academic All-District (also by ESPN The Magazine) and first-team All-Midwest Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

The entire list of Conference USA Scholar Athlete Award recipients:
Women's golf: Kate Ackerson (SMU)
Women's swimming and diving: Jennifer Basel (SMU)
Men's soccer: Ben Shuleva (SMU)
Baseball: James Cesario (Houston)
Men's basketball: Paulius Packevicius (Rice)
Women's basketball: Twiggy McIntyre (Houston)
Men's cross country: Brad Morris (Rice)
Women's cross country: Marissa Daniels (Rice)
Football: Paul Smith (Tulsa)
Men's golf: Brad Benjamin (Memphis)
Women's soccer: Jami Tullius (UTEP)
Softball: Sara Dyer (Tulsa)
Men's tennis: Arnau Brugues (Tulsa)
Women's tennis: Hannah Priest (East Carolina)
Men's track and field: Mickael Hanany (UTEP)
Women's track and field: Keisha Walkes (UTEP)
Volleyball: Kelley Wernert (East Carolina)



SMU, the only Division I athletic program in Dallas, Texas, sponsors 17 sports and has been ranked as the top school in its conference for 10 straight years in the Director's Cup overall athletic rankings. More information about SMU and its coaches, athletes and teams is available at www.SMUMustangs.com.

[Scoops]

Tied for the conference lead ... of course.

Congratulations to Kate, Jennifer and Ben.

[jtstang]

Ahh...women's golf....