Softball | May 3
CLEVELAND - Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) of the Northern Illinois University softball team was named the week 32 Mid-American Conference Scholar Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Walinski carries a 3.905 GPA as a pre-physical therapy major. Last week, Walinski totaled nine RBI and homered twice, including a game-winning grand slam, during NIU's series against Western Michigan and Buffalo.
The shortstop was on fire all week with eight hits (two for extra bases) and four runs through 22 at-bats. Her shining moment of the week came in the series finale against WMU at home when, with the game tied 4-4 in the sixth inning and the bases loaded, the senior delivered a grand slam, giving NIU the boost it needed to corral the Broncos.
Walinski is the first NIU softball student-athlete to earn the award this academic year, however she is the fifth Huskie who's been tabbed a scholar athlete in 2022-23. A'Jah Davis (women's basketball), Chelby Koker (women's basketball), Izzak Olejnik (wrestling), and Alyssa Al-Ashari (gymnastics) have been honored with the plaudit previously. Â Â
The Scholar Athlete of the Week Award is presented to a MAC male and/or female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during that week's competition. An institution can nominate up to one male and one female student-athlete per week in any of that current season's sports. The winners are selected by a representative of the MAC's Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs).
Â
Â
Â
