Oklahoma State University Athletics
Players of the Year Announced
June 21, 1999 | General
April 25, 1998
STILLWATER, Okla. - Basketball player Cheri Edwards and wrestler Steven Schmidt were named the OSU Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year at Saturday's Student-Athlete Academic Awards Banquet.
Edwards, a Tecumseh, Okla., native, was a member of both the President's and Dean's Honor Roll, and she was selected to the conference all-academic team the last three seasons. A four-year letterwinner for the Cowgirls, she was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick this past season. The education major closed out her basketball career as OSU's eighth-best rebounder and ninth-best scorer. She is one of just 13 Cowgirls to score over 1,000 points over a career. Her 47 career blocks rank sixth in that category. An All-Big 12 Tournament choice this year, Edwards started 84 games in her Cowgirl career, ranking 13th on that chart.
Schmidt, an electrical engineering major from Tuttle, Okla., was a three-time NCAA All-American and also captured conference and national academic honors in each of his four years. His 115 victories rank 10th in Cowboy history. He won almost 90 percent of his matches at OSU, closing out his career with a 78-4 record in duals. In addition, he won 64 of 76 meetings against ranked opponents. Only a severe knee injury kept Schmidt from making a serious run at a national title this year. He was undefeated and ranked No. 1 nationally at 142 pounds.
In addition to naming the student-athletes of the year, the OSU Academic Services for Student-Athletes department honored 114 student-athletes at the banquet for their excellence in the classroom, and OSU recognized over 40 graduating seniors. OSU recognized the top graduating seniors in each sport, and each of those student-athletes honored the faculty and staff who had provided them their greatest inspiration.
The Student-Athlete Academic Awards Banquet was developed to recognize outstanding academic achievements of Oklahoma State student-athletes. Criteria for selection were developed by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Academic Services for Student-Athletes.
To qualify for the banquet, a student-athlete must meet one of the following criteria: earn an OSU grade point average equal to or greater than 3.0, an OSU GPA equal to or greater than 3.0 for the spring and fall 1997 semesters combined, or an OSU grade point average equal to or greater than 3.0 for the fall 1997 semester for first-year freshman and transfer students. Student-athletes may also be nominated to attend the awards banquet based upon the recommendation of Academic Services for Student-Athletes. Student-athletes completing a fifth year of eligibility and those receiving special recognition are also eligible for the banquet.
