IOWA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

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March 8, 2002

(Release courtesy of Dave Blanchard, SID, Luther College)

LUTHER’S Johanna Olson Named Postgraduate Scholar

DECORAH, IA . . . The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that Luther senior Johanna Olson (Wadena, MN/Wadena- Deer Creek HS) has been awarded a postgraduate scholarship.  The NCAA awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships of $5,000 each to 29 men and 29 women who participated in fall sports, which included men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer and men's water polo.

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

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.20 (on a 4.0 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.

Olson has a 3.71 grade point average as a health major with a double minor in physical education and biology.  She has attained Dean's List honors each semester at Luther and was selected health major of the Year in 2000-01.

Olson completed her career this fall as one of Luther's most decorated athletes.  She is a seven-time All-American and three-time Academic All-American in both cross-country and track and field, as well as a four-time Academic All-Conference selection.  During her junior year (2000) in cross-country, she won every race she entered en route to the individual national championship.  This fall, she became the first Luther runner to win three individual conference championships and the first to be named the Iowa Conference Most Valuable Runner three times (1999, 2000, 2001).  She helped lead the Norse to a third consecutive trip to the national cross-country championships by capturing her second consecutive Central Regional title.  At the national championships, Olson earned her third All-America honor in cross-country by placing 15th.  For her efforts, she was named the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) regional and national Athlete of the Year.

"We are all very proud of Johanna's tremendous achievements not only as a distance runner at Luther College but also as a student in the classroom," Luther Cross Country/Track and Field Coach Betsy Emerson said.  "As Johanna's academic advisor, I can attest to her focus and commitment to excellence in academics, which is so consistent with her focus and commitment to excellence on the course or track.  Johanna Olson is a great ambassador for Luther College."

Perhaps Olson's greatest achievement has been the battle she has won while facing the diagnosis and treatment of a brain tumor, not once, but twice during her career.  Her strength and inspiration during this time was recognized by the Honda Motor Company in 1999, when she was presented the Honda Motor Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award.  This honor is presented annually to a collegiate woman athlete who has overcome great physical adversity to contribute to the success of her team.

When not spending time on her studies or athletic pursuits, Olson finds time to serve on Luther's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and works as part of the community clean-up of Decorah roads.  She serves as a peer tutor, a Cardiac rehab volunteer at the Winneshiek County Hospital and frequently speaks at the Decorah Health Center and for the D.A.R.E. Program at the Decorah Area School District and St. Benedict's Catholic School.

"This is a wonderful honor for Johanna and we are proud of her accomplishments as a student-athlete," Luther Athletic Director Joe Thompson said.  "She has been tireless in her pursuit of excellence while displaying positive sportsmanship and fair play.  Johanna is a gifted student, an elite athlete, and she represents all that is good with collegiate athletics."

Olson becomes the 25th Luther athlete to receive this distinguished honor.  As an institution, Luther ranks 22nd among all NCAA institutions for the number of postgraduate scholarships awarded.

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