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March 8, 2007
Greensboro, NC – Four Virginia student-athletes have been named recipients of prestigious postgraduate scholarships or awards by the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ryan Burke (men’s soccer), Andrew Dumm (cross country/track), Meredith Lazarus (women’s lacrosse) and Adam Cristman (men’s soccer) are among 45 student-athletes from across the ACC to earn the honors, as announced by Commissioner John D. Swofford.
Burke and Dumm will receive a Weaver-James-Corrigan scholarship while Lazarus was among three student-athletes selected for a Jim and Pat Thacker scholarship. Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker scholarships are given to selected ACC student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate-level degree following graduation. Each recipient will receive $5,000 to use towards his or her graduate education. Student-athletes receiving the award have performed with distinction in both the classroom and in their respective sports, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Cristman was one of nine student-athletes selected for the Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Awards. These students will be recognized for their outstanding performance in both athletic competition and the classroom throughout their collegiate careers and intend to compete at the Olympic or professional level.
Burke, a goalie for the Cavalier men’s soccer team, holds the school records for career saves (256), shutouts (28) and games played (80). He was named to the NSCAA/Adidas All-South Atlantic Region second team in 2005 and earned All-ACC Men’s Soccer Academic team honors in 2005. He was chosen to live on the lawn for the 2006-07 school year, which is one of the highest honors of a fourth-year at Virginia.
Dumm was the ACC Outdoors Champion outdoors in the 5K in 2006 and helped Virginia win the ACC Cross Country Championship in 2005. He was an All-ACC selection in the 10,000 meters in 2006 and 5,000 meters in 2006 and received All-ACC cross country accolades in 2005. An all-region cross country selection in 2005 and 2006, he was named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s National All-Academic team in 2006.
Lazarus was a team captain for the women’s lacrosse team in 2006. She was a third team All-American in 2005 and led the Cavaliers in caused turnovers and ranked second on the team in ground balls and fourth on the team in draw controls that season. Lazarus was the recipient of Virginia’s Jettie Hill Memorial Award, presented to the fourth-year female student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA.
Cristman was named to the 2005 All-ACC Academic Men’s Soccer team. He was second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and five assists for 25 points as a senior. A two-time All-ACC second team pick, he was selected in the fourth round (48th overall) in the 2007 MLS Draff. He helped UVa to a College Cup appearance in 2006 and was named second team NSCAA/Adidas All-South Atlantic Region.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan, all former ACC commissioners. The league’s first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954 to 1970 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987, and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan’s tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were given as separate honors. The Jim Weaver award, originated in 1970, recognized exceptional achievement on the playing field and in the classroom, while the Bob James award, established in 1987, also honored outstanding student-athletes.
The Thacker award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, N.C. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC’s first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through post-graduate studies at an ACC institution.
The 45 student-athletes will be honored April 12, 2007, in Greensboro, N.C., at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club. The luncheon will be held at the Koury Convention Center.