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Stephanie Swiger Receives 2008 Bob James Memorial Scholarship
Aug. 14, 2008
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Bowling Green State University's Stephanie Swiger (volleyball, Findlay, Ohio) and Central Michigan University's Wynn Michalak (wrestling, Caro, Michigan) have been named by Mid-American Conference Faculty Athletics Representatives as the recipients of the 2008 Bob James award as announced today by the league office. The Bob James Memorial Scholarship, in its 19th year, recognizes one female and one male student-athlete who have achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5, and have displayed good character, leadership and citizenship. The student-athletes are nominated during the year in which they complete their final season of eligibility. The $5,000 post-graduate scholarship is awarded in honor Bob James, the second commissioner in Mid-American Conference history (1964-71). Swiger's selection marks the 10th time a BGSU student-athlete has received the Bob James award. Six male student-athletes and four female student-athletes have garnered the honor. Bowling Green's totals are the most of any MAC institution in all three categories (see accompanying box). Swiger excelled on and off the volleyball court during her student-athlete tenure at Bowling Green. As part of the BGSU volleyball team, she was a Mid-American Conference First Team selection two seasons in a row (2006-07, 2007-08), the 2007-08 volleyball team captain and as a senior won the 2008 BGSU Falcon Medal of Honor Award. Swiger was a four-year starter and letterwinner at BGSU.
In addition to her outstanding athletic and academic awards, Swiger earned the 2008 President's Award for Distinguished Service as well as the 2007 and 2008 BGSU Gregory T. DeCrane Student Leadership Recognition Award. She also served as the Mid-American Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Chairwoman and as a representative to the National SAAC. This month, Swiger will start pursuing her Juris Doctorate as a first year law student at the Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law.
During his stint as a student-athlete, Michalak became one of four Mid-American Conference wrestlers to hold four MAC Championships (2005-08). He was honored by the MAC for his accomplishments on the mat by being named conference Wrestler of the Year three times (2006-08) and conference Freshman of the Year in 2005. Nationally Michalak was honored three times by being named as an All-American in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Academically he earned the 2007 MAC Commissioner's Award, CMU's Dick Enberg Scholor-Athlete of the Year Award, the MAC Presidential Award in 2008 and is a four time selection to the Academic All-MAC team. In addition to his academic and athletic accomplishments, Michalak has earned the Tom R. Jones Student Leadership Award, was on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and served as the Central Michigan Representative at the NCAA Leadership Conference.
Past Bob James Award Winners
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