May 1, 2003

Two Women's Swimmers Win NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships

INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA has awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships of $6,900 each to 29 men and 29 women who participated in winter sports, which included men's and women's basketball, fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, rifle, skiing, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor track and field and wrestling.

Seniors Kelli Dudley (Topeka, Kan./West) and Liz Hug (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) represented Truman on the list of 29 women nation wide. They were both four-year all-Americas and won numerous individual titles on Truman's last three national championship women's swimming teams.

Dudley was a four-year and six-time national champion by winning the 200-yard backstroke in 2000, the 100-yard backstroke in 2001, as part of the 400-yard medley relay in 2002 and in the 400-yard individual medley, the 200-yard backstroke and as part of the NCAA record-setting 400-medley relay team in 2003.

She is a 23-time all-America after also finishing second in the 400 IM, third in the 100 back, fourth in the 200 IM and fifth as part of the 400 medley relay team as a freshman; placing second in the 200 and 400 IMs and 200 backstroke, and as a member of the second-place 200 medley relay and fifth-place 400 medley relay teams in 2001; with second-place finishes in the 200 and 400 IM races and third in the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the 2002 national championships; and after finishing second in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke in her final season in 2003.

As a senior, in the preliminary heat for the 400 IM, Dudley set an NCAA record by .01 of a second (4:20.67) and set a new school mark in the 200-yard backstroke prelims (2:00.49).

As a junior, she was part of the NCAA record-setting 400-yard medley relay team. Dudley holds school records in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes and the 400 IM., and as a member of the 400 medley relay team.

Hug is four-year and 12-time national champion after winning the 1,000-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley, as part of the winning 800-yard freestyle relay squad and the NCAA-record setting 400-medley and 400-yard freestyle relay teams in 2003; in the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle and as part of three relay teams (400-yard medley and 400- and 800-yard freestyle) as a junior in 2002; as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay in 2001 and as a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay in 2000.

She is 28-time all-America after also finishing third in the 200-yard individual medley, fourth in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly, fifth in the 200 backstroke, second as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay squad and third as part of the 200-yard medley relay team as a freshman; after placing sixth in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, seventh in the 200 freestyle, ninth in the 500 freestyle, second as part of the 200 medley relay squad and fifth as part of the 400 medley relay team her sophomore season; after finishing second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 1,000-yard freestyle at the 2002 NCAA Division II national championships; and after placing second in the 500-yard freestyle and fourth in the 200-yard free in 2003.

As a senior, Hug helped set an NCAA record in the 400-medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay at the national meet.

She also set the NCAA DII record in the 200-yard individual medley in 2002, and was part of NCAA record-setting 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay, and 400-yard medley relay teams in that same year.

She holds Truman records in the 200-yard individual medley and as part of the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay teams.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

In addition to the winter sport honorees, the NCAA also awards 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and spring sports in which the NCAA conducts championships, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually.