Indiana University Athletics
Cardinell Earns NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship
9/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
April 28, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Graduating senior Cassandra Cardinell earned a $7,500 post graduate scholarship from the NCAA, as announced by the national office on April 26. Cardinell joins former IU cross country star Audrey Geisler (2004), golfer Karen Dennison (2004), men's soccer standout Brian Maisonnueve (1995) and fellow diver Kimiko Hirai Soldati (1997) as the only Hoosiers in school history to receive this prestigious honor.
"What can I say? Her season just gets better and better," Indiana head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber said. "She is an example of someone who comes to practice and the classroom fully prepared and ready to give her best effort every single day. Cassandra has worked extremely hard and earned everything she has received through effort and determination. She is a shining example of the perfect student-athlete and the success athletes can find at Indiana University."
The Loudonville, N.Y., native put together an impressive semester of diving after coming back from foot surgery following competition at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. At the 2005 NCAA Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., Cardinell came from behind to snare the platform title. She not only became the first Hoosier from the swimming and diving team to win a national championship since Hirai Soldati claimed the one-meter crown in 1996. She also became the first non-one-meter champion as IU's only other national titles came with AIAW one-meter triumphs by Amy McGrath (1980) and Lona Foss (1982). Her performance paced IU to its best finish (ninth) at the national championship in program history.
"Over the past five years, I have really worked hard academically and athletically," Cardinell said. "It is nice to be recognized and to get some financial support to further my education. I want to continue diving competitively as well as finish my graduate degree, and this award really helps me do that without worrying about the financial side as much."
Additionally, Cardinell earned a spot on the USA Diving International Team, and traveled to Zhuhai, China for the China Open. Meanwhile, the six-time All-American will compete at the 2005 Speedo/FINA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 12-15 and the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, Aug. 11-21.
The NCAA also awards 114 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who compete in fall and spring sports for a total of 170 annually.
"Cassie is in good company in terms of our previous four scholarship winners," Associate Athletics Director of Student Support Amelia Noel-Elkins said. "She is a great example of the type of academic success our student-athletes have here at Indiana."
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.
