December 7, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Central College volleyball player and track and field performer Katie Pederson (Lake Mills, Iowa/Lake Mills) has been named the Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2005-06 academic year.

“The Iowa Conference is extremely proud to recognize Katie and Adam [Duerfeldt] as this year’s recipients of the Duane Schroeder Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. For each of the past five years I’ve felt that the bar has been raised so high for this award that it could not possibly be reached the ensuing year; and every year I’m proved wrong,” Iowa Conference Commissioner John T. Cochrane said. “I firmly believe that our lives are ultimately defined by the impact we have on others, and there are simply not enough superlatives to describe the impact that these two young people have had on their fellow students, campuses, and communities. They represent the pursuit of excellence and achievement by anyone’s definition of those two words; and as Katie and Adam move on to pursue their career goals, couched within the context of service to others, suffice it to say that this world will be a better place than it otherwise might be.”

Pederson graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2006 with a 3.745 grade point average as a sociology major with a Spanish minor. She produced a senior honors project in sociological research, The Female Athletic Body Image Paradox, received the Gordon De Jong Outstanding Senior Sociology Student Award and was runner-up in the Annie Dillard Personal Essay Writing Contest. Pederson was one of 30 nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award which is presented annually to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. She is currently pursuing her Masters in sociology at Loyola University in Chicago.

“Katie was an excellent student. She is bright, self-motivated, intellectually curious and has excellent organizational skills. In the classroom, she was inquisitive and made significant contributions to discussions. Katie understands that there is much that she wants to learn and is willing to do the work necessary to accomplish her goals,” Central Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Jon Witt said. “Of the students I have taught in my 12-plus years of teaching here at Central College, Katie would be very near the top in terms of her potential for graduate school success. Her academic record demonstrates her capacity to perform well, but beyond that she is simply a good person.”

Pederson served as president of Central’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council, was a student representative to the Central board of trustees, co-chaired the senior class challenge fundraising campaign, was a student ambassador to the admissions office and was a resident advisor. She also volunteered for the Literacy Army in the Pella elementary schools and helped teach English to a family of Mexican immigrants in Ottumwa. She was an Upward Bound tutor-counselor, served as a summer resident advisor for high school girls assisting with Spanish and art classes, organized activities and supervised 120 at-risk high school students.

“One of the endearing qualities of any great athlete to a coach is the passion that drives her to pursue the very best of which she is capable. There are plenty of student-athletes who work hard in practice and compete with passion. There are few I’ve coached or witnessed who have been as consummately invested in the pursuit of her best self – of her whole self – as Katie Pederson,” Central volleyball coach Kent Clayberg said. “A natural leader, Katie came into our program and began an earnest investment into the relational culture of our team during preseason practices her freshman year. The coaching staff and team captains recognized her leadership abilities immediately, and learned quickly that her good heart and noble ideas were worthy of following.”

Athletically, Pederson was a two-time All-Conference performer in volleyball, earning Conference Most Valuable Player honors as a senior, was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Central Region Team and was an honorable mention All-America. She graduated with the school record for blocks in a match and in the school’s all-time top-10 in solo blocks (5th, 127), total blocks (7th, 350), blocks per game (9th, 1.04), kills per game (9th, 2.54) and block assists (10th, 223). Pederson was a member of four Conference Championship volleyball teams and three NCAA qualifying teams.

Pederson was the Conference indoor and outdoor high jump Champion as a senior and an NCAA outdoor track Championship provisional qualifier. Five times she was named Academic All-Iowa Conference and served as a captain of both the volleyball and track teams.

The Duane Schroeder IIAC Female 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. She 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 2005-06 Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year were former Buena Vista University basketball player Katie Maguire, former Cornell College tennis player Marie Schutte and former Wartburg College softball player Renae Vomacka.

Previous recipients of the Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year include Johanna Olson (2000-01, Luther College track and cross country), Brianne Schoonover (2001-02, Wartburg College basketball and track) Jessica Jensen (2002-03, Buena Vista University basketball and track), Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (2003-04, Central College volleyball and track) and Amy Ernst (2004-05, Coe College softball).

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