Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Diver Jake Sinclair Wins 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Postgraduate Scholarship
06/03/2003 | 12:00:00 | Swimming & Diving
June 3, 2003
St. Louis, Mo. - Southern Illinois University diver Jake Sinclair and Bradley University's Tamara Hart were named 2003 Missouri Valley Conference male and female postgraduate scholarship winners, respectively, by MVC commissioner Doug Elgin on Tuesday. The Missouri Valley Conference Faculty Athletics Representatives Committee voted to award postgraduate scholarships to both Sinclair and Hart, due to their exemplary academic and athletic performances. Both student-athletes will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship from the Missouri Valley Conference.
Sinclair, a senior from Gillette, Wyoming, is SIU's third straight male swimmer or diver to win the prestigious award, following winners Chrysanthos Papachrysanthou (2002) and David Parkins (2001). He graduated summa cum laude in May with a 4.00 grade point average in two degrees: psychology and social work. Sinclair was recently named to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-District V University Men's At-Large First Team on May 22 and has been nominated for the Verizon Academic All-American Team. During his career, he was named to the MVC Scholar Athlete Team in 2001, 2002 and 2003, won the SIU Men's Scholar Athlete Award in 2001 and the Saluki Academic Award for a perfect 4.0 grade point average in 2002.
Sinclair has been accepted to graduate school at Georgia Southern University, where he will pursue a master's degree in sports psychology and serve as a diving coach in the fall of 2003. The all-MVC diver was also named one of SIU's 25 Most Distinguished Seniors by the SIU Alumni Association and was only one of four athletes to earn the honor in 2003. The most distinguished seniors at SIU are individuals who have enriched the University community with their active involvement in all facets of campus life. Some of these activities include academic achievement, athletics, residential life, military services, greek life, and registered student organizations.
Athletically, Sinclair won the 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Championship 3-meter diving title with an MVC meet record and career-high 564.80 points. He also finished second in the 1-meter dive with 316 points, earning all-MVC honors on both boards. Sinclair went on to finish 12th in the 3-meter and 14th in the 1-meter at the 2003 NCAA Zone D Meet. He ended his career as an all-MVC diver all four years (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003) he competed and was the MVC Diver-of-the-Year in 2001 after finishing second on both boards. He shared the honor as Co-MVC Diver-of-the-Year in 2003.
Hart, a senior from Petersburg, Ill., was a three-sport All-MVC runner, collecting the league honors in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. She maintained a 3.78 cumulative grade point average in health science. Hart's third-place individual finish at the 2002 Valley Cross Country Championships helped the Braves to a second-place team finish and she collected Academic All-America honors from the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association following a 12th-place run at the NCAA Midwest Regionals. During the two track and field seasons, Hart set Bradley records in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters and she was a member of the school-record-setting indoor and outdoor medley relay teams.
Recently, Hart earned Bradley University's Watonga Award and B-Club Award. The Watonga Award is given annually to the Bradley senior who bests combines athletic ability and academic achievement with community service. It is the highest honor given to a student-athlete on the Hilltop, while the B-Club Award is an alumni honor given to Bradley's Most Outstanding male and female athlete.
Involved in a number of community service activities during her four-year career at Bradley, Hart served on the Missouri Valley Conference student advisory committee for the past two seasons. She also served on the Braves Council as Vice President (2001-02) and President (2002-03) and was a member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee (2002-03). With her bachelor's degree in health sciences, Hart will continue her studies in the Washington University (Mo.) School of Medicine Doctoral Program in physical therapy.
To be eligible for consideration, recipients must have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00, participated with distinction in a Missouri Valley Conference championship sport for at least two seasons at the nominating institution and must graduate from their institutions within 18 months following selection at the spring meetings of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Committee.
Also, the recipients must be accepted for postgraduate studies at an institution of higher learning at the time of receipt of the scholarship. And, the recipients must have completed eligibility for participation in intercollegiate athletics in the academic year in which nominated.
