Missouri State University

ST LOUIS - The Missouri Valley Conference announced the 2011 MVC Scholar-Athlete team for women's swimming and diving late Saturday night. Missouri State has nine representatives, including senior Katharina Voelkel, who topped the list with a 4.0 GPA.

Voelkel is a four-year competitor in the Valley who will graduate with a 4.0 GPA in her double-major of mathematics and biology. She has received Scholar-Athlete honors in each of her four years at Missouri State.

In addition to her excellence in the classroom, Voelkel will graduate as one of the top distance swimmers in school history. She is fourth all-time in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:20.64), fourth in the 1650-yard freestyle (17:13.03) and fifth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.66).

Voelkel is the second bear in as many years to graduate with a 4.0 GPA as last season, Chelsea Ray had a 4.0 GPA in Marketing/Advertising.

In addition to Voelkel, junior Laura Peterson, junior Brianna Willoughby, sophomore Kaylee Steffen, senior Rene Smith, junior Brynne Buell, sophomore Amber Green, junior Dimitra Drakopoulou and junior Katie Lindeman also earned Scholar-Athlete status.

Scholar-Athlete honors require athletes to have completed at least one year and maintain either a 3.2 GPA and obtain all-conference honors, achieve a 3.5 GPA and finish top sixteen in an individual event at the conference championships, or maintain a 3.8 GPA and participate in the MVC championship.

 Forty-one student-athletes qualified for the Valley 2011 Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete team, with five student-athletes averaging a perfect 4.0 GPA.  Illinois State and Evansville lead the Valley with ten student-athlete representatives.

2010-11 MVC Scholar Athlete Team

­