Advisor, athletes honored at banquet
CLARION STAFF Report
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports
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The Doug Redsten Memorial Service Award was presented to MATC Disability Resource Service staff member Scott Ritter. According to the award nomination, Ritter has advised students for the past three years and helped "numerous student-athletes find their way through the rigors of college life and point them in the right direction."
The award, named in honor of former Athletic Director Doug Redsten, recognizes a staff person who has demonstrated outstanding loyalty, support, dedication and service to MATC athletics.
"He truly cares about each student he works with and about each student's success at MATC and beyond," said Steve Hauser, MATC director of athletics. "Scott also understands the challenges that student-athletes deal with. He is a true friend to us all and we sincerely appreciate the time, effort and sincere passion that Scott displays in his work with the students."
Ritter was described as an advisor who has "consistently gone beyond simply scheduling classes and helping student-athletes with paperwork." He motivates them to achieve at a high level and shows his support for them by attending many of their sporting events.
Two student-athletes were recognized as MATC Sportsperson of the Year, Whittney Schultz and Cody Winiarski. The award is presented to student-athletes who have best exhibited the ideals of scholarship, leadership and sportsmanship while also demonstrating the ability to handle stressful situations with poise and confidence.
Schultz was a two-sport athlete for MATC, playing in 63 basketball games and 167 volleyball games. The starting point guard for the women's basketball team, she led her team in assists both seasons, finished 10th all-time with 200 career assists.
"Whittney is one of the most coachable players I have ever worked with," said women's basketball coach Jessica Pelzel. "Due to her maturity and great understanding of the game, she made the transition from volleyball to basketball seem so smooth."
In volleyball, she played as a defensive specialist and recorded over 400 digs in two years, leading the team this year with more than three a game.
Schultz is a dental hygienist major and received WTCC Academic All-Conference honors for both years and WJCAA Academic All-State honors this year.
Winiarski is a pitcher on the MATC baseball team. Last year, he pitched in a team-high 58-2/3 innings, recorded 50 strikeouts and had a 3.53 ERA. He finished his first season with the team with a 6-2 record, including a perfect game he pitched for his first win.
This year, he achieved WTCC Academic All-Conference honors and is one of three MATC student-athletes to receive Distinguished WJCAA Academic All-State honors.
"Cody is what all coaches look for in a student-athlete," said baseball coach Mike Davenport. "His willingness to do whatever it takes to improve, including sometimes taking one step back in order to take three steps forward, has allowed him to continually improve and has made him a joy to coach."
Finally, former MATC baseball player Travis Thompson was inducted into the MATC Athletic Hall of Fame. Thompson played at MATC during the 1995-96 seasons.
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