Illinois Wesleyan senior women's soccer player
Lauren Knaack is one of 58 student-athletes nationwide who participated in fall sports to be awarded a postgraduate scholarship by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), announced on March 5.
The NCAA awarded one-time, non-renewable educational grants of $7,500 to 58 student-athletes—29 men and 29 women who competed in fall sports.
Knaack, a defender from McHenry, Ill., (McHenry West HS), was a first team all-Central Region team selection as a senior and junior and earned third team all-region honors as a sophomore.
She was a first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in 2011 after being selected to the second team for three straight seasons. Last fall Knaack helped the Titans to a 14-4-2 record and she finished her career tied for seventh with 82 games played and tied for 11th with 15 career assists.
Knaack is a biology (pre-med) major at Illinois Wesleyan and was elected to the first team of the Capital One Academic All-District VII Women's Soccer Team for Division III. She was named to the third team of the 2010 Women's Collegiate Scholar All-America Team, chosen by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta honorary and Beta Beta Beta biology honorary.
Other recent NCAA postgraduate scholarship winners from Illinois Wesleyan include Rachel Anderson, women's track, spring 2008; Kristi Katz, women's golf, spring 2008; Drew Kepple, men's golf, spring 2007; Taylor Paskell, women's golf, spring 2007; Adam Dauksas, men's basketball, winter 2006; and Korey Coon, men's basketball, winter 2000.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must be nominated by his or her athletic department, have an overall grade point average of 3.2 (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.
The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.
