Schramka, Kansas Swimming and Diving Earn End of Year Awards
May 8, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Senior swimmer Terri Schramka was honored as the Robert Frederick Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year at the annual Jayhawk Senior and Scholar Athlete Banquet to top off a season of success for the 2007-08 Kansas swimming and diving team.
Schramka, a Madison, Wisc., accounting major, was a three-time Academic All-American and a three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Schramka joined 16 other members of the swimming and diving team on the Academic All-Big 12 team during the 2007-08 season. Kansas led the league on the women’s side with the most female student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 team of the six Big 12 institutions with women’s swimming and diving programs.
In addition to its Big 12 accolades, the KU swimming and diving team tallied six Academic All-Americans, 11 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll honorees (4.0 GPA) and 23 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll recipients with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.99. The team collaboratively achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.29 during the 2007-08 academic campaign.
The Jayhawks reeled in the Jayhawk CHAMPS award for the third-consecutive academic year. The Jayhawk CHAMPS (CHallenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success) competition is designed to appeal to student-athletes’ competitiveness. The award annually rewards those teams that encourage and participate in personal development opportunities, combined with building camaraderie between all Kansas teams. Points are awarded to each athletic team for participation in five categories: Community Service, SAAC Participation, Personal Development, Jayhawks Supporting Jayhawks and Team GPA. The KU team with the most combined points is awarded the Jayhawk CHAMPS award at the Senior and Scholar Athlete Banquet each year.
Among swimming and diving’s scholarship awards, the Jayhawks finished the season fourth at the 2008 Big 12 Championship meet in Austin, Texas. Diving coach Eric Elliott reeled in the Big 12 Diving Coach of the Meet honor, while swimmer Danielle Herrmann led the Jayhawks by breaking three individual and two relay records, paving the path as the only Jayhawk to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet.
Kansas shattered a total of five all-time records, four Robinson Natatorium records and 14 records in opponent’s pools, while achieving 70 percent best times to conclude the season.
The `Hawks officially closed the season with the team’s annual awards banquet May 3 in the Naismith Room of the Booth Family Hall of Athletics. After honoring the 2007-08 seniors, Lauren Bonfe, Nikki Maples, Jenny Roberts, Allie Rubino and Schramka, head coach Clark Campbell recognized three swimmers who were recipients of KU’s four team awards.
Schramka captured swimming and diving’s Academic Award for her 3.5 GPA, presented to the senior who accumulates the highest GPA in her four years at KU. Freshman Joy Bunting reeled in two awards, the Newcomer of the Year award and the Karen Dionne award, presented to the most inspirational member of the team. Herrmann walked away with the Tammy Thomas MVP award following her stellar season and repeat appearance at the NCAA Championship meet.
