August 20, 2003

Kuchera Picks Up Award

National Champion in March 

            Kearney, NE – Former Nebraska-Kearney wrestler Frank Kuchera, who was the 174 lbs. NCAA Division II National Champion this past winter, has picked up some more hardware. Earlier this month, the Rose native was chosen as one of 16 regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.

            A male and a female Division II Scholar Athlete of the Year will be selected from the 16 regional winners, to be announced in the coming weeks.

            Kuchera is the male winner in the North Central Region, which is made up of schools from the RMAC, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the North Central Conference. Karen Darveaux, a tennis player from Winona State (Minn.), is the region’s female winner.

            A two-time All-American, Kuchera finished with 113 wins in his career, the second most in school history. Also a three-time Academic All-American, Kuchera had a GPA well over 3.50 as a Sports Communications major.

            The commissioners from the regions that comprise Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners. To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 career GPA and possess outstanding athletic credentials.

            The award, sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of Sports, provides the opportunity for Division II to highlight the achievements of its student-athletes.