Dec. 1, 2009
Conference Office Official Fall 2009 Academic All-Big Ten Release (PDF Format) 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second-straight year Northwestern led the Big Ten in Academic All-Big Ten honorees per sport in the fall season, breaking its own school record with 81 award winners in six sports, announced today (Dec. 1) by the conference office.
NU's 81 total accolades establish a school mark in a single-sport season for the third-consecutive year (up from 68 in the fall of 2007 and 75 in the fall of 2008). The football program broke its previous high for the fourth season in a row with 27 (up from 16 in 2006, 18 in 2007 and 26 in 2008). Northwestern's total is third-best in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (94) and Indiana (93), which each participate in seven fall-season sports.
Included in the Wildcats' fall 2009 Academic All-Big Ten award winners are three ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honorees. Zeke Markshausen (Capron, Ill./North Boone) of football was a first-team selection while Stefan Demos (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) of football and Matt Eliason (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) of men's soccer were second-team choices. In addition, Doug Bartels (Caledonia, Ill./Rockford Boylan Catholic) of football was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V first team honoree.
Athletically, 10 different Wildcats who earned Academic All-Big Ten awards this fall also won All-Big Ten status on the field of play, accounting for 59 percent of NU's total All-Big Ten award winners during the fall season.
To earn Academic All-Big Ten recognition, an athlete must be in his/her second year at the institution, letter in his/her sport and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
Instituted beginning in 2008-09, the conference office also will hand out the Distinguished Scholar Award at the end of the academic year. Student-athletes eligible for the Distinguished Scholar Award must be letter winners in at least their second year in residence at their institution. Qualifying student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school. The 3.7 GPA benchmark was designed to include the top 10 percent of all eligible student-athletes.
The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award was established by conference Faculty Representatives as an addition to the conference's Academic All-Big Ten program. The recipients will be honored prior to the fall of 2010 based on their GPAs from the 2009-10 academic year.
Following are Northwestern's 2009 fall season Academic All-Big Ten award winners (graduate students are listed with their undergraduate majors):
Field Hockey (14)
Zoe Almquist, Jr. Mathematics Ann Arbor, Mich.
Courtney Coburn, Sr. Psychology Upper Arlington, Ohio
Elizabeth Dobbs, Sr. Communication Studies and Psychology (double major) Wellesley, Mass.
Alyssa Elmy, Sr. Environmental Sciences Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Megan Jamieson, Jr. Learning & Organizational Change Toledo, Ohio
Katie Lynch, Jr. Human Communication Studies Briarcliff, N.Y.
Sarah Marcincin, Jr. Economics Bethlehem, Pa.
Courtney Plaster-Strange, Sr. Economics Louisville, Ky.
Kaylee Pohlmeyer, So. Undeclared Severna Park, Md.
Marnie Robbins, Jr. Communication Studies Milwaukee, Wis.
Kendra Sirak, Jr. Psychology/Anthropology Dallas, Pa.
Olivia Standa, Jr. Communication Studies Lake Bluff, Ill.
Claire Thompson, So. Communication Studies San Jose, Calif.
Stacy Uchida, Sr. Environmental Studies Southbury, Conn.
Football (27)
Brian Arnfelt, So. Communication Studies Lake Elmo, Minn.
Doug Bartels, Jr. Anthropology Caledonia, Ill.
Andrew Brewer, Gr. Communication Studies Tulsa, Okla.
Corbin Bryant, Sr. Learning & Organizational Change Chicago, Ill.
Scott Concannon, Jr. Communication Studies Columbia, Mo.
Stefan Demos, Sr. Communication Studies Scottsdale, Ariz.
Drake Dunsmore, Jr. Communication Studies Lenexa, Kan.
Adam Hahn, Gr. Economics Hartford, Wis.
Tyris Jones, So. Undeclared Fort Wayne, Ind.
James Kurzawski, So. Undeclared Evanston, Ill.
Zeke Markshausen, Gr. Mechanical Engineering Capron, Ill.
Kurt Mattes, Gr. Political Science Larksville, Pa.
Sherrick McManis, Sr. Communication Studies Peoria, Ill.
Bryce McNaul, Jr. Economics Eden Prairie, Minn.
Al Netter, Jr. Economics Rohnert Park, Calif.
James Nussbaum, Sr. Economics Greenwood, Ind.
John Henry Pace, Sr. Mechanical Engineering Hinsdale, Ill.
Dan Persa, Jr. Communication Studies Bethlehem, Pa.
Brian Peters, Jr. Learning & Organizational Change Pickerington, Ohio
Kyle Petty, Sr. Learning & Organizational Change Northbrook, Ill.
Brad Phillips, Sr. Psychology Export, Pa.
Josh Rooks, Jr. Psychology Zeeland, Mich.
Jacob Schmidt, Jr. Human Development & Psychological Services Rhinelander, Wis.
Desmond Taylor, Gr. Communication Studies Los Angeles, Calif.
Kevin Watt, Jr. Learning & Organizational Change Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Quentin Williams, So. Undeclared Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mark Woodsum, Gr. Environmental Sciences Arlington Heights, Ill.
Women's Cross Country (8)
Hallie Busta, So. Journalism Jackson, Ohio
Rachel Edwards, So. Engineering Eden Prairie, Minn.
Paulina Garcia, Sr. Learning & Organizational Change Streamwood, Ill.
Britta Helwig, Sr. Learning & Organizational Change Chicago, Ill.
Rachel Kaminski, So. Social Policy Green Bay, Wis.
Annie Reihman, Jr. Biological Sciences Richmond, Ind.
Madeline Rozwat, Jr. Communication Studies and Psychology (double major) Hillsborough, Calif.
Abby Tracy, So. Undeclared Vadnais Heights, Minn.
Men's Soccer (9)
Mark Blades, Sr. Psychology Lakewood, Ohio
Pat Coleman, Sr. Political Science Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Matt Eliason, Jr. Communication Studies Lombard, Ill.
Drew Kotler, Jr. Spanish Wynnewood, Pa.
Eamon O'Neill, Sr. Communication Studies and Legal Studies (double major) Wilmington, Del.
Peter O'Neill, So. Undeclared Fairway, Kan.
Drew Pavlovich, Sr. Economics Leawood, Kan.
John Rogers, So. Undeclared Birmingham, Mich.
Kevin Valenta, Sr. Political Science St. Louis, Mo.
Women's Soccer (13)
Colleen Antas, Jr. Spanish and Human Development & Psychological Services (double major) Wheaton, Ill.
Jennifer Baumann, Jr. Communication Studies Waukesha, Wis.
Kelsey Bertamus, So. Undeclared Burnsville, Minn.
Katie Doyle, So. Journalism St. Charles, Ill.
Nicole Duller, So. Undeclared Los Altos, Calif.
Carolyn Edwards, Jr. Communication Studies and Psychology (double major) Lincolnshire, Ill.
Sam Greene, Jr. Learning & Organizational Change Santa Monica, Calif.
Leigh Jakes, Sr. Sociology McDonough, Ga.
Emily Langston, So. Undeclared Los Altos, Calif.
Jessica Palo, Sr. Art Theory & Practice Ames, Iowa
Ali Rubnitz, Sr. Communication Studies and Psychology (double major) Los Gatos, Calif.
Kay Sampson, Sr. Environmental Sciences San Francisco, Calif.
Sarah Sroka, So. Undeclared Geneva, Ill.
Volleyball (10)
Alexandra Ayers, So. Radio, Television & Film Playa del Rey, Calif.
Ariel Baxterbeck, Sr. Environmental Sciences and Psychology (double major) Menlo Park, Calif.
Kathryn Chrystal, So. Undeclared Crystal Lake, Ill.
Mary Grace Gallagher, So. Undeclared Atlanta, Ga.
Elyse Glab, Jr. Psychology Chicago, Ill.
Brittani Gray, Sr. Psychology Cincinnati, Ohio
Naomi Johnson, Jr. Mathematics Bloomington, Minn.
Sabel Moffett, Sr. Psychology Temecula, Calif.
Madalyn Shalter, So. Undeclared Ottawa, Ohio
Natalie Taylor, So. Undeclared Del Mar, Calif.