Emilie Kluth and Jill Smolczyk of The University of South Dakota women’s swimming and diving team have been awarded postgraduate scholarships by the NCAA. This academic year, three Coyote student-athletes have received the prestigious postgraduate honors. Katie Freeman of the Coyote soccer program also received a postgraduate honor last fall.

Kluth (Sr., Columbus, Neb.) and Smolczyk (Sr., Omaha, Neb.) become the 15th and 16th USD student-athletes since 2000 to receive a NCAA postgraduate scholarship. Since 2004, 12 USD student-athletes have earned postgraduate scholarships ($7,500), including the 2004-05 academic year when five student-athletes received postgraduate scholarships - both rank among the best in the nation. The U was one of only four schools (Washington University-St. Louis, Clarion and Auburn) in NCAA Division I, II or III with two female student-athletes receiving postgraduate awards this spring.

The two Coyotes are among the 29 men and 29 women in NCAA Division I, II and III to receive postgraduate scholarships in the second of three NCAA’s awarding periods in 2007-08. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually to 87 men and 87 women student-athletes.

“Both of these student-athletes are inspirations to others,” said Dr. Christina Keller, USD’s Faculty Athletic Representative. ‘Jill returned from shoulder surgery to become the best diver in Division II, and will help others recover from injuries as a physical therapist. Emilie tutored students in our Writing Center, and plans on pursuing a graduate degree in College Student Affairs in order to help other student-athletes reach their fullest potentials. Our institution is extremely proud of these two young women.”

Kluth received her second career All-American honor with a fourth-place finish in 1-meter diving at the 2008 swimming and diving national meet. She has also received two honorable mention All-American honors while qualifying for nationals all four years of her competitive career at The U. An English major, she has a 3.841 GPA and currently serves as the Co-President for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Smolczyk, a six-time All-American, was named the NCAA Division II Women’s Diver of the Year in March. She won a national title in 1-meter diving and finishing second on the 3-meter board at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in March. Along with Kluth, she helped lead the Coyotes women’s swimming and diving team to a 10th place team finish. Smolczyk, who has a 3.833 GPA in psychology, won the 1-meter and 3-meter diving titles at the NCC Championships as she was also the NCC Women’s Diver of the Year. In all, she has won four NCC diving titles and owns five school records. A member of the swimming and diving program’s Unity Council, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Women’s Academic All District VII At Large Squad in 2007.

“This is great news about two of our outstanding student-athletes,“ USD Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen said. “Emilie and Jill are excellent role models and student leaders at USD. They have excelled on our swimming and diving team while also succeeding in the classroom. They are shining examples of USD student-athletes continuing to earn recognition on the national level. Their success demonstrates The U’s commitment to providing an extraordinary academic experience for all of our student-athletes.”

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the NCAA’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship or emerging sports. To qualify for the postgraduate scholarship, student-athletes must have maintained an overall grade point average of 3.2 or its equivalent and performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which a student-athlete was nominated. Candidates were screened by seven regional selection committees and award recipients were then selected by the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.

List of NCAA Postgraduate Scholars from USD since 2000
Matt Hoyt, Men’s Track and Field, 2000
Stefanie Senn, Women’s Track and Field, 2000
Jeremy Kudera, Men’s Basketball, 2001
Sara Deckert, Women’s Track and Field, 2001
Jarrod Edelen, Men’s Football, 2003
Bill Gassen, Men’s Football/Men’s Track and Field, 2004
Paul Brozik, Men’s Track and Field, 2004
Emily Fox, Women’s Track and Field, 2004
Brianne Edwards, Women’s Track and Field, 2004
Marci Miller, Women’s Track and Field, 2005
Meghann Reifenrath, Women’s Track and Field, 2006
Mara McGill, Women’s Track and Field, 2007
Heidi Muellenberg, Women’s Track and Field, 2007
Katie Freeman, Women’s Soccer, 2008
Emilie Kluth, Women’s Swimming and Diving, 2008
Jill Smolczyk, Women’s Swimming and Diving, 2008

Source: www.usdcoyotes.com

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