Gustavus Adolphus College student athletes Pete Schwingler, Nichole Petersen, and Kristi Schneider have been selected to receive postgraduate scholarships from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Schwingler (tennis), Petersen (track and field), and Schneider (track and field) are among a group of 58 student athletes that compete in a spring sport in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III to receive a $7,500 postgraduate scholarship. Gustavus was only one of two institutions in the entire NCAA (the other was Willamette University) to have three student athletes receive scholarships this spring.
Schwingler, a native of Rochester, Minn., was a four-year letterwinner for the Gustavus tennis team. He earned all-conference honors at #6 singles this season and was a key part of a team that claimed the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and placed fourth at the NCAA Division III Championships. Schwingler, who graduated #1 in his class with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, will attend Columbia Law School in the fall.
Petersen, a native of Arco, Minn., was the MIAC Champion in the 10,000 meters this past spring, while also finishing third in the 5,000 meters. A 5-time all-conference performer in outdoor track and field, and 4-time all-conference performer in indoor track and field, Petersen holds school records in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoors and the 5,000 and 10,000 meters outdoors. She was also a four-time all-conference and all-region performer in cross country at Gustavus. Petersen, who graduated summa cum laude with a 3.89 grade point average, will be pursuing a doctoral degree in economics at the University of Michigan.
Schneider, a native of Hastings, Minn., set the school record in the pole vault seven different times during her standout career, including three different times in her senior season. This past year, Schneider finished first at the MIAC Indoor Championships, 11th at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, and second at the MIAC Outdoor Championships. She set the school indoor mark at 11′ 6.5 inches as well as the school outdoor mark at 11′ 5.75″. Petersen was a six-time all-conference performer in track and field including three times indoors and three times outdoors. Kristi, who graduated summa cum laude in late May with a 3.90 grade point average, will be attending medical school at the University of Minnesota in the fall.
Schwingler, Petersen, and Schneider join volleyball player Rachel Batalden (fall) and gymnast Amanda Parker (winter) as NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners for the 2004-05 school year. Gustavus’ total of five winners is the second highest total in the NCAA this year behind the University of Missouri-Columbia with six. Gustavus has had 15 student athletes receive a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship since 1974.
The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. The scholarships are awarded to student athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports. Each sports season there are 29 scholarships for men and 29 for women. The sports that make up the spring season are baseball (men), equestrian (women), golf (men and women), lacrosse (men and women), rowing (women), softball (women), tennis (men and women), outdoor track and field (men and women), and volleyball (men).