RELEASED:  Thursday, March 6, 2008

UW-Eau Claire’s Burns Named Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete

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

Burns, a senior from Eau Claire, Wis. (North H.S.), boasts a 3.80 grade point average and is majoring in elementary education with a minor in mathematics.  She was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five Women’s Basketball Second Team this year.   Burns is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-Eau Claire’s Dean’s List and received Academic Distinction from her institution.

Selected as the conference’s Player of the Year this season, she is a two-time All-WIAC first team selection and secured honorable mention status in 2005.  Burns was also named to the league’s all-defensive team a season ago.   She ranks eighth on the school’s all-time list with 1,208 points and 10th with 656 rebounds.

Burns has served as a volunteer with Special Olympics, Humane Shelter, Community Table, Blugold Buddies and youth basketball.  In addition, she has spoke at Kiwanis and Rotary Club meetings.

Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were:  UW-Eau Claire’s Kalista Houselog (Sr., Neenah, Wis./St. Mary Central), Rachel Mueggenborg (Sr., West Salem, Wis.) and Amanda Zenner (Sr., Medford, Wis.), UW-La Crosse’s Ashley Wagner (Sr., Slinger, Wis.), UW-Oshkosh’s Whitney Tyriver (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis./West), UW-Stevens Point’s Chelsea Kranz (Sr., Columbus, Wis.), UW-Stout’s Joanna Bird (Sr., Boyceville, Wis.), UW-Superior’s Ashley Laidley (Sr., Grand Forks, N.D.) and UW-Whitewater’s Lindsey Buechner (Sr., Cross Plains, Wis./Middleton) and Trisha Thill (Sr., Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee).

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.