Spring Break
Three female athletes earn top C-USA academic award
Nicole Jacobsen, Editor in Chief, njacobse@smu.edu
Issue date: 7/1/09 Section: Sports
SMU student athletes are faced with the challenge of balancing academics with competition on a daily basis. Some students excel at this task, establishing themselves as champions both on and off the field or court and earning acclaim from their professors, coaches and peers.
This year, three SMU female athletes - each from a different sport - received the title of Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year. This year's winners from the Hilltop are Kate Ackerson, Natalia Bubien and Petra Klosova.
Natalia Bubien, a 22-year-old tennis standout working toward a degree in psychology, received the award for the third time in her four years at SMU after helping lead the tennis team to a national ranking and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2009. Bubien who currently has a 3.864 GPA, needs just 18 more hours to earn her degree is expected to graduate in the fall of 2009.
Picking up her first racket at the age of five, Bubien has mastered juggling school and tennis.
"I got used to it, but time management was always the biggest challenge," Bubien said. "I never had a lot of time to study, but when I had it, I used it to the fullest. Tennis helped me become more organized."
Helping elevate the Mustangs to the No.23 spot this past season, Bubien won 12 of her 20 matches, including wins over No. 27 TCU and conference foe Southern Miss.
Prior to this year's recognition, the Poland native was the 2007 C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year, a four-time C-USA Academic Medal winner and a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and three-time C-USA All-Academic Team honoree.
Bubien also received the Conference USA Spirit of Service award for her efforts towards engaging in community service, good academic standing and participation with SMU's tennis team.
Staying at SMU for one more year, Bubien will continue with the team as a graduate assistant coach, but hopes to one day attend graduate school.
"When I graduate I'd like to do my masters in sports psychology or get into physical therapy school."
This year, three SMU female athletes - each from a different sport - received the title of Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year. This year's winners from the Hilltop are Kate Ackerson, Natalia Bubien and Petra Klosova.
Natalia Bubien, a 22-year-old tennis standout working toward a degree in psychology, received the award for the third time in her four years at SMU after helping lead the tennis team to a national ranking and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2009. Bubien who currently has a 3.864 GPA, needs just 18 more hours to earn her degree is expected to graduate in the fall of 2009.
Picking up her first racket at the age of five, Bubien has mastered juggling school and tennis.
"I got used to it, but time management was always the biggest challenge," Bubien said. "I never had a lot of time to study, but when I had it, I used it to the fullest. Tennis helped me become more organized."
Helping elevate the Mustangs to the No.23 spot this past season, Bubien won 12 of her 20 matches, including wins over No. 27 TCU and conference foe Southern Miss.
Prior to this year's recognition, the Poland native was the 2007 C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year, a four-time C-USA Academic Medal winner and a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and three-time C-USA All-Academic Team honoree.
Bubien also received the Conference USA Spirit of Service award for her efforts towards engaging in community service, good academic standing and participation with SMU's tennis team.
Staying at SMU for one more year, Bubien will continue with the team as a graduate assistant coach, but hopes to one day attend graduate school.
"When I graduate I'd like to do my masters in sports psychology or get into physical therapy school."
Be the first to comment on this story