May 20, 2002
Sterup and Sparks Named Academic All-District
Seniors Kyle Sterup (Fremont, Neb.), a member of the Truman men's swimming team, and Jason Sparks (Kirksville, Mo.), a member of the baseball team, have both been chosen to Verizon Academic All-District teams. Sterup was a first-team choice and will advance to the all-America ballot, while Sparks was named to the second team.
Sterup was a member of the Truman men's swimming team that finished tied for ninth at the NCAA Division II National Swimming and Diving Championships this past March. He earned honorable mention all-America honors as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that took 10th-place, and Sterup earned honorable mention all-America status individually after placing 12th in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 15th in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Sterup also set new school records in the 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles. He is an English major with a 3.63 grade point average.
Sparks was a designated hitter and first baseman for the Bulldogs this year, hitting .306 and leading the team with 27 runs. He also tied for the team lead with two triples and was second with eight doubles for a slugging percentage of .441. Sparks is a biology major with a 3.59 GPA. The Truman baseball team finished 15-29 in 2002.