RELEASED:  Wednesday, May 7, 2008

UW-Eau Claire’s Janke Named Women’s Softball Scholar-Athlete

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Jill Janke has been named the 2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women’s Softball Scholar-Athlete.

Janke, a senior from Black River Falls, Wis., is majoring in public relations and history and carries a 3.59 grade point average.  She is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and three-time selection to UW-Eau Claire’s Dean’s List, while claiming Academic Distinction from her institution six semesters. 

A team captain this season, she is a four-time All-WIAC first team honoree and a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III All-Great Lakes Region selection, earning second team honors this year and first team status from 2005-07.  Janke won her team’s Golden Glove Award in 2007 and Big Stick Award in 2005.

She is a member of the WIAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and serves as president of UW-Eau Claire’s SAAC.

Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were:  UW-La Crosse’s Jessica Iwanski (Sr., Grafton, Wis.), UW-Oshkosh’s Dani Olsen (Sr., Verona, Wis.) and Amy Sullivan (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis./West), UW-River Falls’ Emily Howlett (Sr., Eagan, Minn.), Ashley James (Sr., Mankato, Minn./Loyola), Amanda Peters (Sr., Pepin, Wis.) and Brittany Rathbun (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Mayo) and UW-Whitewater’s Emily Floerke (Sr., Fort Atkinson, Wis.) and Meghann Brennfleck (Sr., Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard.  Kruckman served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98.  Prior to this appointment, she functioned as Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from October, 1984 - September, 1996.

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.