June 18, 2008

Wayne State University diver Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich.) and softball player Lindsey Perry (Taylor, Mich.) were each chosen to receive an NCAA Division II Degree Completion Award.

The NCAA Division II Degree Completion Award Committee selected recipients from a pool of 182 applications. The committee awarded 86 applicants from 63 different Division II institutions. The committee also selected 10 alternates.

The Division II Degree-Completion Award program provides financial assistance to deserving student-athletes with completion of a first baccalaureate degree.

Candidates are student-athletes who have exhausted their athletics eligibility and have received athletics financial aid. Recipients are selected on the basis of several factors, with emphasis on academic performance. Other factors considered are financial circumstances, athletics achievement, and involvement in campus and community activities.

Barczak (pictured left), an art major, and Perry, a nursing major, both completed their eligibility this past Winter semester. Barczak was a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American while also earning two First Team All-America honors by placing fourth in one-meter diving (408.75) and sixth on the three-meter board (366.85) at the 2008 NCAA Championship. She was a seven-time All-America diver.

Perry was named to the 20080 GLIAC All-Academic team and was also voted to the All-GLIAC Second Team. In addition, she was selected to the NCAA Great Lakes Region All-Tournament team. Perry earned the 2008 Deans' Award for having highest cumulative gpa of any student-athlete in the College of Nursing.