Loyola's Reifenberg, Morote-Ariza Named U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Sept. 10, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -- Loyola University Chicago sophomore Ben Reifenberg (men's cross country) and junior Cynthia Morote-Ariza (women's soccer) have been named U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sept. 7, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Wednesday (Sept. 10).

Reifenberg (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) helped lead Loyola to a second-place finish at the Crusader Invitational on Sept. 5, finishing second overall at 19:35 in the 6-kilometer race behind freshman teammate Danny Docherty. A first-team All-Horizon League selection last season, Reifenberg has been the runner-up in each of the Ramblers' two cross country meets this fall.

As a social work major, Reifenberg carries a 3.48 grade-point average at Loyola.

Morote-Ariza (Chicago, Ill./St. Ignatius) equaled Loyola's single-match record with seven points in a 6-1 victory over Xavier University on Sept. 5 with a pair of goals and three assists. With those seven points, she became the Ramblers' career leader in goals (28) and assists (22) in only her third season.

In the classroom, Morote-Ariza maintains a 3.45 grade-point average as a psychology major. She earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V first-team honors last season and was named to the Horizon League Women's Soccer All-Academic Team.

The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards as a way to recognize outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours and perform well during the week's competition. Winners are selected by a group of League faculty athletic representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.

OTHER MEN'S NOMINEES:

Ryan Hartwig, Green Bay (men's cross country, senior, 3.648, communication) was Green Bay's top finisher at the Crusader Invitational on Sept. 5, taking 20th place with a time of 20:34. He has achieved three consecutive semesters of a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and been named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll four times.

Andrew Hayner, Detroit (men's cross country, graduate student, 4.0, master's in liberal arts) was Detroit's top performer with a 13th-place finish at the 22nd Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational with a time of 20:46. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine All-America Second Team in 2008 and was a finalist for UDM valedictorian honors as an undergraduate.

Nick Hegeman, Butler (men's soccer, junior, 3.376, economics) recorded his second career shutout in his first start of the season as Butler blanked IPFW 1-0. He has helped the Bulldogs start the season with three straight shutouts for the first time since 1990. Hegeman has been selected to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and the Butler Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Rich Krupar, Valparaiso (men's cross country, senior, 3.300, meteorology) finished 17th at the Crusader Invitational to help Valparaiso to a third-place team finish. He has been named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll each of the last two semesters.

OTHER WOMEN'S NOMINEES:

Val Bollenbacher, Valparaiso (volleyball, junior, 3.535, nursing) helped Valparaiso to a 2-1 record at Indiana University's adidas Classic. She had 14 kills and 10 digs against Big East preseason favorite Louisville and added 19 kills and 14 digs in the Crusaders' victory over Wake Forest. Bollenbacher has been named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll each of the last two semesters.

Kristie Ferrans, Detroit (women's cross country, sophomore, 3.903, education) was Detroit's top finisher and set a new personal-best with a time of 19:42, which was good for 21st place at the 22nd Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invitational.

Carrie Twyman, Butler (women's soccer, junior, 3.523, elementary education) scored a pair of goals in Butler's 3-0 victory over IPFW on Sept. 7. A member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, she currently leads the Bulldogs with six points on three goals.