Kero, Eick, Baltus Named WCHA Scholar-Athletes
EDINA, Minn. – Michigan Tech hockey players Tanner Kero, CJ Eick, and Brent Baltus were among the 87 recipients of the 10th annual WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award the league announced on Tuesday (March 3).
Kero, a native of Hancock, Mich., was one of the 13 recipients who received the award for the third year in a row. The senior majors in mathematics with a concentration in actuarial sciences. He leads the WCHA in scoring with 41 points on 17 goals and 24 assists.
Eick received the award for the second year in a row. The native of Appleton, Wis., has played in 25 games this season with two goals and seven assists. The junior is the top penalty killer for the fourth-ranked Huskies and is majoring in sports and fitness management.
Baltus is a sophomore from Nanaimo, British Columbia. He has six goals and eight assists in 20 games this season. Baltus majors in finance.
The WCHA, through Ferris State University President David Eisler (Chair, Men's League), St. Cloud State University Faculty Representative Bill Hudson (Chair, Women's League), men's Commissioner Bill Robertson and women's Commissioner Aaron Kemp made the announcement.
"On behalf of the entire Western Collegiate Hockey Association family, we extend our sincere congratulations to all of our men's and women's WCHA Scholar-Athletes for 2014-15," said Dr. Eisler, Dr. Hudson, Robertson and Kemp in a joint statement. "While the WCHA is proud to be among the most tradition-rich, historic and successful conferences in all of college athletics, our utmost priority will always be to providing the very best experience for our student-athletes – both on and off the ice.
"We are thrilled to publicly recognize the wonderful academic accomplishments of these outstanding young men and women. To compete at the highest collegiate level in your chosen sport, while also maintaining exemplary academic standards, takes tremendous commitment, effort and dedication. Our Scholar-Athlete Award recipients are a true testament to the mission of the WCHA and its member institutions. We commend and applaud each and every one of them."
The WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed through member team Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership for the 2005-06 season. To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his/her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.
Over the 10 years of the award, there have now been more than 830 WCHA Scholar-Athlete honorees representing every men's and women's conference-member institution. Forty-seven (47) of this season's 87 recipients are repeat honorees, with 13 of those now being three-time honorees.