Dennison, Giesler awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships

A fundamental goal for the IU athletics department is to have all student athletes earn a degree from IU while being competitive in sports. \nRecent IU graduates Audrey Giesler and Karen Dennison were recognized for meeting and exceeding this goal. Giesler and Dennison were two of the 58 NCAA spring-sport athletes, 29 male and 29 female, who were awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships of $7,500 each.\nScholarship recipients excel on both the playing field and in the classroom. The student athletes must separate themselves from their peers in competition and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. They also must have shown sportsmanship on the field and leadership and behavior off the field in a way that brings respect to their university and the NCAA as a whole.\n"I was very excited and honored when I was informed that I had received one of the few NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships," said Dennison, who competed for the women's golf team. "Four years of hard work both with athletics and academics finally paid off."\nDennison finished her lustrous career by winning two individual tournament titles and being named first team All-Big Ten her senior season. For her career, she was a two-time first team All-Big Ten selection, was named to the All-American team in 2003 and earned a sponsor's exemption for the 2003 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic.\nDennison credits IU women's golf coach Sam Carmichael for teaching her the work ethic necessary to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. She also credits her professors for allowing her to keep up with the work when she had to miss class due to her golfing commitments. \n"They were always very willing to bring me back up to speed or work ahead on topics in order for me to stay on top of my school work," she said.\nTwo-sport star Giesler ended her career by becoming the first IU All-American in the steeplechase at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Prior to this year, she landed a 2003 Big Ten title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, an NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship appearance in 2003 and back-to-back NCAA Cross Country Championship team births. \nIn addition to these athletic achievements, Giesler was named an Academic All-American in 2003.\nGiesler received motivation from her professors and teammates in the classroom. She thanked her biology professor, Craig Nelson, for influencing her academically and her teammates who pushed her in the classroom.\n"I was a part of a highly motivated and achieving team not only at practice but also in the classroom," she said.\nWith the scholarship money, Dennison will be pursuing a masters degree in sport management and sport administration from IU, while Giesler is still unsure about her future plans. Giesler had planned to earn a graduate degree in exercise physiology from IU, but because of her recent involvement in the Teach for America Program, she is considering studying social policy or justice.\n-- Contact staff writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.