Wichita State University Shocker Bowling has been consistently known as the best bowling program on the lanes but many may not know that Shocker Bowling is the best in the classroom as well.

Since Academic All-American's began in 1990 the Shocker Bowling program has produced 85, which is more than any other program in the nation. An Academic All-American is a student-athlete that carries a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.

"Our program wants student-athletes that are wired to LEARN and WORK," said Shocker Head Coach Gordon Vadakin (pictured). "In many, many instances, great learners are workers do very well in academic classes and those academics complement a great on-lane work ethic and deep desire to learn and be their best. Our best students are almost always out best bowlers."

This season eight bowlers made the distinguished list. Freshman Marcus Berndt (left, Malmö, Sweden) and sophomore Kevin Tatrow (Bel Aire, Kan.) were named from the men's team.

From the women's team junior Joi Bell (Pflugerville, TX), sophomore Suzana Signaigo (Kapolei, HI), freshman Melissa Sobolik (Marion, IA) and freshman Jazreel Tan (right, Singapore) all received the high academic honor.

In addition, freshman Jeff Breedlove (Effingham, Ill.) and sophomore Kendall Cooper (Georgetown, TX) were named from the developmental team.

Although the demands of competition, practice, travel and the various other aspects of being a student athlete can be demanding, Shocker Bowlers' success in the classroom can be attributed to the emphasis placed on academics by the coaching staff. WSU Bowling requires all athletes to carry a 2.25 GPA while the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Collegiate requires only a 2.00 minimum GPA to participate in collegiate bowling.

In addition to its higher academic requirements, WSU requires all bowlers to participate in mandatory, weekly supervised study hall sessions to allow athletes to focus solely on studies. While Shocker Bowling consistently pushes its athletes on the lanes, academics and graduation are the top focus as Wichita State bowlers are true student-athletes that succeed in all aspects of the term.

Incoming Shocker Wins Prestigious $20,000 Jabara Scholarship from WSU

Incoming Shocker bowling freshman and summer camper, Matthew Helmick, a senior at Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico was awarded the Jabara Scholarship from Wichita State University.

The scholarship, one of the most prestigious at WSU and one of the largest entrepreneurship scholarships nationally, awards each recipient $20,000 over four years. To compete, a student must have a minimum ACT score of 24, a GPA of 3.5 or better and be a declared entrepreneurship major.

Helmick plans to major in entrepreneurship and marketing while at Wichita State.

"This award means a lot to me. From a financial stand point, this scholarship is huge because it saves my family a very large sum of money, and it ensures that I get to attend the school that I want. From an academic standpoint, it makes me feel very proud. I have worked very hard the last four years to put myself in a good position for college. To me this scholarship symbolizes that hard work and dedication to my school work. I'm very proud and honored to be the Jabara scholar," said Helmick

At his high school, Helmick has earned many awards at science and technology expositions. He also has numerous awards in district and state competitions for DECA, an international association of high school and college students studying marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service.

Helmick also is heavily involved in bowling as team captain for two years on the varsity bowling team.

"As far as academics and bowling, I believe they are very closely related. Guys like Norm Duke and Chris Barnes are the best bowlers in the world not only because of their physical talent, but because of their intelligence as well. Getting good grades and being academically strong ensures that I will be successful in any path that I choose. I have thought a lot about combining a career in business and bowling in some way, and Wichita State is going to give me the expertise to do that," said Helmick.

Helmick will be on campus for the Fall 2010 semester and will be trying out for the bowling team.