Phoenix Basketball Player, Wright State Volleyball Star Named Scholar-Athletes of the Month

Dec. 5, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS -

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University of Wisconsin-Green Bay junior Mike Schactner (men's basketball) and Wright State University senior Tara Geegan (volleyball) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Month for November, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Wednesday (Dec. 5).

Schachtner averaged a team-high 19.8 points for the month of November, and ranks third in the Horizon League in scoring average. He shot .590 from the field (49-for-83), .421 from three-point range (eight-for-19), and .867 from the free throw line (13-for-15). Schachtner had three 20-point games in six outings, including a season-high effort against North Dakota State. The junior forward ranks second on the team and 16th in the League with a rate of five rebounds per game, while ranking third in the League in field-goal percentage (.590), fifth in free-throw percentage (.867) and 13th in minutes played (31.3).

Academically, Schachtner owns a 3.799 grade-point average as a psychology. He has been recognized as the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week three times in his career, including on November 20, and was named to the Academic All-League basketball team in 2006-2007. Schachtner was also named a Third-Team Academic All-America last year, and to Division I-AAA's 11-player Scholar-Athlete team in 2006-2007.

Geegan nabbed her second-straight U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Month award, as she wound up her senior season at WSU. At the conclusion of the regular season, Geegan earned All-Horizon League honors, as she helped lead the Raiders to the third-seed in the Horizon League Tournament, and an opening-round victory over UIC. She recorded 14 kills against both Loyola and Green Bay, and reached double-figures in kills during four of the six matches in November. She finished the month with 62 kills and 24 blocks in 23 games.

As an early childhood education major, Geegan sports a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. She has earned High Honors every quarter at Wright State, and was named the 2006 Quad-Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was also named a Third-Team Academic All-American and a First-Team All-District by CoSIDA.

The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards in 2006 as a way to supplement recognition of outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. That commitment continued with the addition of the U.S. Scholar-Athlete of the Month awards this fall. 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 and passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours, and perform well during the month's competition. Winners are selected by a group of League faculty athletic representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.

OTHER MALE NOMINEES:

Stephen Grove, Cleveland State (swimming, sophomore, 3.82, mechanical engineering) helped lead the Vikings last month. He began by winning the 50- (21.53) and 100-yard freestyles (48.26) on Nov. 2 against St. Bonaventure, and then contributed to the winning 400-yard medley relay team (3:29.47) and placing second in the 50-yard freestyle (21.49) at Miami (OH). Against Notre Dame, Grove won the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.67) , earned second place in the 50-yard freestyle (21.57), and finished the month by placing 10th in the 50-yard freestyle with a personal-best time of 21.11 at the Miami (OH) Invitational. He also was part of the runner-up 400-yard medley relay team.

Tom Levin, Loyola (basketball, senior, 3.67, finance) averaged 1.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.6 steals per game as Loyola went 2-3 in November. He came off of the bench in all five of the Ramblers' contests, grabbed five rebounds in a season-opening victory at LeMoyne on Nov. 10, and registered three points, three boards, a block and a steal in a win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 13. Levin finished the month by scoring two points, two rebounds, and an assist against Bradley on Nov. 28.

Shawn Huff, Valparaiso (basketball, senior, 3.21, sociology/criminology) led the Crusaders to a 5-1 record during November, scoring 11.7 points per game and grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game. He scored 18 points and nabbed a career-high nine rebounds on Nov. 20 against SEC opponent Vanderbilt, and earned All-Tournament honors at the South Padre Island Invitational. He hit six-of-seven shots, including three from behind the arc, on his way to 19 points in Valpo's victory over MAC preseason favorite Western Michigan on Nov. 28.

Robby Leibold, Milwaukee (swimming, junior, 3.845, health sciences) has recorded 11 victories and four second-place finishes in 17 races so far this season. He won both races he swam against Wheaton College on Nov. 2, and two out of three against UIC and North Dakota on Nov. 10. He has top times for the Panthers so far this season in the 500 and 1000-yard freestyles, and the 200-yard butterfly. At the Wheaton Invitational, he took third in the 200-yard butterfly, and won the 500-yard freestyle with a pool- and meet-record time.

OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:

Mel Snyder, Cleveland State (volleyball, senior, 3.81, middle childhood education) helped lead CSU to a 5-2 month, including the Vikings' first-ever Horizon League Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament by averaging 12.60 assists per game. She added 24 kills while hitting .237 (24-6-76) and chipped in 10 aces, 49 digs, and 11 blocks. In the three League Championship matches, Snyder averaged 13.73 assists and 2.18 digs per game, while leading the Vikings to a .278 hitting percentage in the tournament. In the championship match, Snyder posted 48 assists, eight kills, and eight digs against Valparaiso. She finished her senior season with a CSU single-season record 1,469 assists and stands third on the all-time assist list at CSU. She also ranks fifth all-time at CSU with 130 service aces.

Cynthia Morote-Ariza, Loyola (soccer, sophomore, 3.40, clinical psychology) recorded two goals, a pair of assists, and a team-best six points in four matches. She was named the Horizon League Women's Soccer Player of the Year, and was tabbed the League Tournament MVP for the second-straight year after helping Loyola to its second consecutive Horizon League Title and NCAA Tournament appearance. She assisted on both Loyola goals in the Championship match on Nov. 11, and added to her school-record totals of goals (17) and points (43).

Leanne Felsing, Milwaukee (volleyball, senior, 3.479, education) tallied three double-doubles and earned Horizon League Volleyball Player of the Year honors as she led Milwaukee to its fifth-straight regular season title.

Laura Rolf, Valparaiso (cross country, junior, 3.40, new media- journalism) was named the Horizon League Cross Country Athlete of the Year after leading all Horizon League runners at the NCAA regional and national meets. She finished sixth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, earning her second consecutive top-10 finish at regionals, and All-Region honors for the third year in a row. She placed 48th at the National meet, out of 253 runners, and earned a top-50 finish for the second-straight year.

Previous U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Month:

August/September: Mark Sommerfeld, Detroit (Golf); Betty Slinger, Green Bay (Volleyball)
October: Robby Leibold, Milwaukee (Swimming); Tara Geegan, Wright State (Volleyball)