9 Redbirds named to MVC Scholar-Athlete team

[February 29, 2012]  NORMAL -- The Missouri Valley Conference announced the MVC Scholar-Athlete team of 42 student-athletes Monday, which included nine members of Illinois State's swimming and diving team. The honors were announced following the conference championship, to round out the 2011-12 season.

The Redbird total of nine scholar-athletes ranked second, behind only Missouri State, in number of representatives. The honors require athletes to have completed at least one year and maintain either a 3.2 GPA and receive all-conference honors, achieve a 3.5 GPA and finish top 16 individually at the MVC championships, or achieve at least a 3.8 GPA and participate in the MVC championship.

Of the 42 MVC student-athletes honored, senior diver Polly Hirt was one of two to achieve a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Hirt finished off her career as a Redbird at the MVC championships in ninth place on the 1-meter board (219.10) and eighth place on the 3-meter board (210.55).

The eight other Redbirds receiving the MVC Scholar-Athlete honor are Maureen Doyle, Danielle Schumacher, Erica Halley, Maggie Kopp, Morgan Buechele, Jillian Olson, Tori Alland and Madicyn Prouty. Doyle, Schumacher, Halley and Kopp were four of the 14 members averaging above a 3.8 GPA.

The ISU swimming and diving team finished its 2011-12 season in second place overall at the conference championships Feb. 16-18.

[Text from file received from Illinois State]