Issued: March 6, 2003

CHANNING NAMED WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

MADISON - UW-Eau Claire's Kristi Channing (Sr.-Fall Creek) has been named the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Channing is majoring in psychology and carries a 3.43 grade point average. She was named to the 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA academic all-district five women's basketball third team and has received recognition on the UW-Eau Claire Dean's List seven semesters.

Channing has led the Blugolds to a 28-1 overall record and the WIAC regular season and tournament titles this season. For the second straight year, she is a finalist for the Jostens Trophy, an award given to the Division III women's basketball player of the year. Channing was recently voted the league's player of the year after earning All-WIAC First Team and D3hoops.com All-Central Region First Team accolades last season.

Channing is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and leads a FCA weekly character study on the UW-Eau Claire campus. She has volunteered her time to read to elementary school children, serve as a Sunday school teacher and assist with church missions to give out food and clothing.

Channing is the fourth women's basketball player from UW-Eau Claire to capture the league's scholar-athlete award, joining Megan Murphy (2001), Erika Schmidt (1997) and Arlene Meinholz (1995).

Also nominated for the scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire's Janel Soppeland, UW-Oshkosh's Melissa Schweitzer, UW-River Falls' Lisa Bartsch and Nicole Harberts, UW-Stout's Tiffani Calmes and UW-Whitewater's Cathy Rossi.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. 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.