Issued: November 19, 2003

FOOTBALL'S CROW NAMED MAX SPARGER CO-SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

MADISON - For the third consecutive year a member of the UW-Eau Claire football team was named a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Max Sparger Co-Scholar-Athlete as Austin Crow (Sr.-Woodbury, MN) earned the 2003 honor, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Crow becomes the third consecutive Blugold football player to be named a Co-Scholar-Athlete, joining Mike Bestul in 2002 and Bob Schmidt in 2001.

Crow is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and maintains a 3.45 grade point average. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Five Second Team a year ago and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Crow has also been recognized on UW-Eau Claire's Dean's List and Honor Roll.

A team captain this season, Crow was named to the D3football.com Honorable Mention All-America Team in 2001 and also earned All-West Region Second Team honors from Football Gazette that same season. He recently earned All-WIAC First Team honors, after receiving second team accolades a year ago. Crow led the team with 11 tackles for loss and six quarterback sacks this season, while ranking second with 94 tackles.

Crow is currently employed by Aurora Community Services and has volunteered at the campus religious center since 1999.

UW-Platteville quarterback Tom Stetzer was named the other Co-Scholar-Athlete. 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.

WIAC Release