June 20, 2011

After playing in every game possible in their four-year careers, seniors honored by conference for athletic and academic achievements

Julie Piper of the women’s basketball team and Matt Martin from the football squad were selected as Eastern Washington University’s recipients of the Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2010-11 school year.

The Scholar-Athlete Award honors the "best of the best" of the conference's nearly 3,000 student-athletes. One senior male and one senior female from each school in the league are recognized for their athletic and academics achievements.

To qualify for the award, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale), be a member of the graduating class and/or have completed their last year of intercollegiate athletic eligibility, have completed at least two years of intercollegiate competition at the institution and be a letterwinner.

Piper, a 2007 graduate of Roseburg (Ore.) High School, maintained a 3.74 grade point average in natural science education with a minor in special education. Martin, a product of La Crosse, Wash., graduated last month with a 3.72 grade point average. He was a double-major in finance and communication studies with a minor in economics.

In addition to their academic successes, Piper and Martin also shared a unique athletic accomplishment. Both student-athletes played in every single game for the Eagles since their freshman year. Piper appeared in 118 total games, and started all but seven of those contests. Martin played in all 51 games for EWU in the past four seasons, helping the team to a 36-15 overall record and 24-8 mark in the Big Sky.

Piper served as the team captain of the EWU women’s basketball squad in her final two seasons at Eastern. She helped rebuild a program that had a 4-25 mark in 2007-08 to earn a 19-12 overall record just two years later, which marked the best season for the Eagles in more than two decades. Led by Piper, the 2009-10 squad earned the school’s first-ever Big Sky regular-season title, while she became Eastern’s first-ever league Most Valuable Player.

Following the 2010-11 season, Piper was named to the All-Big Sky Honorable Mention squad after ranking among the top five in the league in rebounding and blocked shots. She is among the top 10 in the EWU career record book in six different categories, including points scored, with an impressive 1,171.

Piper’s academic success helped the EWU women’s basketball team earn a spot on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for nine-consecutive years - an accomplishment only one other school in Division I history has matched. She was also a four-time Big Sky All-Academic honoree.

Martin was selected as one of four team captains for the 2010 football season. He helped EWU reach the pinnacle of collegiate competition, as the team won NCAA Division I Football National Championship with a 20-19 come-from-behind victory over Delaware on Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Eagles won their final 11 games of the season to finish the year with school-record 13 victories (13-2 overall).  The team was undefeated on its new, red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field, which included three exciting playoff games. The football team also earned a share of the Big Sky crown for the first time since 2005.

Martin started 19 games at tight end in his career, and had 13 catches for 116 yards in 2010, to go along with career totals of 39 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Following the memorable 2010 season, he was named to the All-Big Sky Honorable Mention squad.

Martin was among the 52 winners of the 13th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team, which was announced by the FCS ADA on Jan. 4, 2011. Like Piper, Martin was also honored on the Big Sky All-Academic team for four-consecutive years.

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RECIPIENTS OF THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD

Year	Female Athlete, Sport	Male Athlete, Sport
2010-11	Julie Piper, Basketball	Matt Martin, Football
2009-10	Christy Borders, Track & Field	Jacob Kragt, Football
2008-09	Bonnie Berscheid, Track & Field	Marcus Walker, Football
2007-08	Camille Moseley, Track & Field/Cross Country	Tom McAndrews, Football
2006-07	Joanna Chadd, Basketball	David Paul, Track & Field
2005-06	Beth Russell, Soccer	Joey Cwik, Football
2004-05	Keva Sonderen, Volleyball	Ty Weingard, Track & Field
2003-04	Kathleen Nygaard, Basketball	Kyler Randall, Football
2002-03	Christie Kight, Track & Field	Kurt Kraemer, Track & Field
2001-02	Robyn Felder, Volleyball	Mike Oien, Track & Field
2000-01	Angie Hall, Volleyball	Lance Ballew, Football
1999-00	Kim Maxwell, Volleyball	Ryan Hansen, Basketball
1998-99	Kim Exner, Volleyball	Mike MacKenzie, Football
1997-98	Lora Botha, Volleyball	Jeff Ogden, Football
1996-97	Jaime Dotson, Volleyball	Jason Baerlocher, Track & Field
1995-96	Resa Watterson, Basketball	Jesse Hardt, Football
1994-95	Lori Napier, Basketball	Noah Chambreau, Track & Field
1993-94	Andrea Pochman, Volleyball	Tony Brooks, Football
1992-93	Angela Grant, Volleyball	Trevor Westlund, Football
1991-92	Kari McKay, Track & Field/Cross Country	Kurt Schulz, Football
1990-91	Nancy Kuiper, Track & Field	John Garrison, Basketball
1989-90	Suzanne Vick, Volleyball	Jack Folger, Track & Field/Cross Country
1988-89	Lorna Barr, Volleyball	Jeff Mickel, Football
1987-88	Sonya Gaubinger, Basketball	Hogan Wrixon, Track & Field