RELEASED:  Tuesday, October 30, 2007

UW-La Crosse’s Thour Claims Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Dan Thour has been named the 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete.

A senior from Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata H.S.), Thour carries a 3.55 grade point average and is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry.  He has been named to UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List four semesters and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.  Thour was recognized as a United States Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III All-Academic selection a year ago.

A team captain this season, Thour helped UW-La Crosse to its fourth straight WIAC championship with a 15th-place individual finish at the league spectacle.  In 2006, Thour earned All-Midwest Region honors after placing 22nd at the regional meet and placed 11th at the conference event.

He is an officer for Athletes in Action and a member of the campus Crusade for Christ.  Thour is the 10th men’s cross country student-athlete from UW-La Crosse to claim the league’s scholar-athlete award.

Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete honor were UW-Eau Claire’s Adam Burandt (Sr., New Germany, Minn./Central H.S.) and UW-River Falls’ Andrew Reckard (Sr., Menomonie, Wis.).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard.  Sparger served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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