December 9, 2004

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Wartburg College track and field performer Brent Showalter (Altoona, Iowa/Mid-Prairie) has been named the Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2003-04 academic year.

“The Iowa Conference is very proud of the accomplishments of Brent Showalter and [IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year] Raegan (Schultz) Wagner. They have made tremendous contributions to their campuses, communities, athletic programs, and they stand as shining examples of all that is possible to achieve at our member institutions,” IIAC Commissioner John Cochrane said. “The commitment that Brent and Raegan have shown to their own individual development, in service to others and compassion to those less fortunate, has prepared them to be successful leaders in whatever field of endeavor they choose to pursue in life. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate these two outstanding young people on being named this year’s recipients of the Duane Schroeder Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.”

Showalter graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2004 with a 3.97 grade point average as a business administration major with management and marketing minors, earning Dean’s List honors throughout his collegiate career. He was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Chi Honor Societies, was listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Colleges and Universities, was an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and was named Wartburg’s Dr. Mel Kramer Outstanding Business Administration Student. Showalter is currently pursuing his Juris Doctor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis.

“As a student in several of my courses at Wartburg College, I found Brent to be a gifted student who utilized both his god-given intellect and his work ethic. Brent always impressed me with his ability to manage his responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner,” Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Economics Dr. Patrick Langan said. “He was always well prepared for classroom discussion and for examinations, and consistently sought to understand the issues underlying the assignments. Curiosity is a quality that Brent has in abundance, and it is this quality that sets him apart from his peers because it prompts him to investigate topics independently, beyond their initial presentation. His curiosity and intellectual ability to satisfy this curiosity will allow Brent to be successful in law school and in his career.”

Showalter served as youth director for the United Heritage Methodist Church, mentoring students as a positive Christian role model and planning activities for Christian-oriented discussion. He also served as a group leader for the Community Builders program, designing community awareness activities and discussion between age groups; and was an intern with the Waterloo Human Rights Commission.

“It has been my pleasure to have worked with Brent for the past four years in his roles as a student and athlete. He has truly displayed himself as a strong student leader. It is encouraging to have a student who is committed to achieving great academic success, as well as personal success on the track,” Wartburg track and field coach Marcus Newsom said. “Brent’s contribution to the Wartburg track and field program has been so much more than what he has done as a runner; it has been the type of person that he is that has made such an impact. Brent is someone that is always positive, regardless of the tasks at hand. He is also a student leader that is very responsible and of terrific character. He is a great example and role model for all students, not just student-athletes.”

Showalter was a six-time NCAA All-American in the 4x400 relay and a member of five Iowa Conference Championship relay teams. He is part of the Conference record holding indoor 4x200 relay team and school record holding indoor 4x200, and indoor and outdoor 4x400 relay teams.

The 2004 Wartburg College Voeck’s Award recipient as the outstanding male senior student-athlete, Showalter was a two-time Iowa Conference All-Academic Team member and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team Track and Field selection.

The Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Award was first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. He must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement and leadership.

The Duane Schroeder IIAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, the former Wartburg College sports information director. Schroeder served as Wartburg’s SID for 43 years until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement from his sports information duties, he was named SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg’s News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg, Schroeder served as the IIAC’s secretary and treasurer.

Also nominated for the Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year were former Coe College tennis player Nick Barnes, former Cornell College soccer and baseball player Matt Loptien and former Loras College cross country and track performer Marcus Murphy.

Previous recipients of the Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year include Tim Vinyard (2000-01, Coe College football and baseball), Dale Biser (2001-02, Cornell College football and track) and Jesse Harris (2002-03, Simpson College basketball).

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