Summer 2008

Three Student-Athletes Named Espn Academic All-Americans

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology placed three student-athletes on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team in results released by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Thomas Reives captured first-team Academic All-American honors in track and field, with Ashley Montgomery claiming second-team recognition in softball and Michael Matsui earning third-team accolades in baseball.

Rose-Hulman has now tallied 75 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in school history, including at least one honoree for the last 23 years. Reives became the second student-athlete in Engineer history to claim the award in two different sports in his career (football and track) and emerged as just the third threetime honoree at Rose-Hulman.

Reives was one of just 15 individuals named to the College Division Men's Track and Field/Cross Country First Team from over 600 NCAA Division II, III and NAIA institutions across the nation. He previously earned second team honors in football (2007) and track and field (2007) during his college career.

Montgomery became the first softball Academic All-American in school history, while Matsui claimed the 13th baseball award.

Rose-Hulman Football Team Shuts Out Italian All-Stars On Foreign Trip

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology recorded a convincing shutout victory over the Lenaf All-Star Football Team in an exhibition game as part of the Fightin’ Engineer trip to Italy in June.

The team spent nine days throughout Italy, touring Rome, Florence and Venice along with playing the game in Muggia. Highlights of the tour included the Colisseum, Pantheon and historical religious sites of Rome, the marble cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, and the Piazza San Marco on the largest island in Venice.

Within the game, the Engineers scored seven first half touchdowns in five different ways to secure the victory. Senior Tim Schrock earned game Most Valuable Player honors after scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the first half, including a 66-yard kickoff return for a score and a 35-yard sprint to the endzone. On the day, Schrock gained 69 yards on three carries and added the kickoff return score to pace the effort.

Sophomore Austin Davis added a pair of defensive touchdowns to spark a 54-point first-half effort. Davis returned a fumble 12 yards for a first quarter score and added a 65- yard interception return midway through the second frame.

2003 Graduate Matt Smith Provisionally Qualifies For Olympics

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology graduate Matt Smith has provisionally qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in the 100-meter breaststroke after reaching the Olympic qualification time last spring.

Smith, a 2003 mechanical engineering graduate, surpassed the Olympic qualifying mark of 1:03.72 with his performance of 1:03.29 in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 29th Annual European Swimming Championships.

Smith, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Estonia, would represent the nation of Estonia at the 2008 Olympics if his qualification time remains the nation’s best effort on July 15. His time currently ranks No. 1 by more than a second over countryman Martin Lilvamagi, who completed the course in a time of 1:04.86, and stands as No. 51 in the world this year.

Smith is also attempting to qualify in the 200-meter breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships. His career-best time of 2:19.05 is less than a second away from the Olympic qualification standard of 2:18.37. Smith is the only Estonia native entered in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Smith became Rose-Hulman’s first swimming national champion in 2003, claiming NCAA Division III title honors in the 100-yard breaststroke. The four-time All-American finished fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2003, after claiming All-America honors in both events in 2002.

Smith also became the first Academic All-American in swimming program history in 2002.

He was also named the 2002 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tri-Swimmer of the Year, won eight individual conference titles and established eight school records. The swimming competition in the 2008 Olympic Games will be held at the Beijing National Aquatics Centre in China from August 9-16.

Rose-Hulman Claims HCAC Commissioner’s Cup

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology athletic department earned the 2007-08 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup for its all-around athletic performance during the academic year.

The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded to the institution accumulating the most standings points in the HCAC’s 19 league championship events. Rose-Hulman won the award with 103 points, followed by Anderson (93.5) and Franklin (91.5).

In addition, Rose-Hulman tied with Franklin College in the HCAC Men’s All-Sports Trophy standings. Both schools scored 53.5 points in the 10 men’s sports.

Manchester College claimed the Women’s All-Sports Trophy by just 1.5 points over Rose-Hulman’s effort. The Engineers tallied 49.5 points in nine women’s sports.

During the 2007-08 academic year, Rose-Hulman claimed team championships in women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming and men’s track and field. The Engineers placed second in women’s golf, women’s swimming and men’s soccer, with third-place finishes recorded in men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country, football, wrestling and baseball.

“The Commissioner’s Cup is a huge credit to our coaching staff, student-athletes and everyone connected with Rose-Hulman athletics. I can’t say enough about the commitment and energy that our teams spent this year. This was a true team effort, with so many sports contributing to the award in a big way,” said Rose-Hulman athletic director Jeff Jenkins.

This marks Rose-Hulman’s first Commissioner’s Cup and the first athletic department award honoring the efforts of the combined men’s and women’s teams. The Engineers previously won the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s All- Sports Trophy in 1996.