The Clackamas print., February 13, 2008, Page 11, Image 11

ports
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
Clackamas Print
11
trading on the curve: Student
ithletes put academics first
thleles at Clackamas
p above and beyond the
:adeniic requirements,
aking Randall a place
play and study
mondo Borboa
’Clackamas Print
ie typical stereotype of the dumb
¡apparently does not exist at
ucamas.
ccoriing to Athletic Director Jim
son, the college has one of the
: stringent academic requirements
thletes in all of Oregon,
dost ¡other schools require ath-
to take 12 credits a quarter - we
ire Ip,” Jackson said. “Most
ols require a minimum 2.0 GPA
to play. We require a 3.0 or better to
stay out of a study hall.”
Among the top scholars on campus
is nursing major Savannah Walruff.
Walruff has been a student at
Clackamas for a year and a half. She
intends to transfer to a four-year uni­
versity to earn her degree and eventu­
ally work with children as a primary
care nurse. Perhaps down the line,
she is also considering earning her
medical degree and becoming a doc­
tor working in pediatrics.
Walruff has better than a 3.65
GPA, holds down a job as a swim
instructor and is a devoted communi­
ty volunteer. She has been a part of a
church community outreach program
for years, helping to raise thousands
of dollars in assistance funding.
Oh yeah - she’s also a track and
cross country runner.
Although a standout student in any
case, Walruff isn’t the only athlete to
have brains to match her brawn.
In two of
the past four
years, the
women’s vol­
leyball team
has managed
to achieve
standings as
a national
scholar team,
the require­
ment being
an average
Games This Week
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Helen Conley Clackamas Print
Baseball players work on homework and study before practice. In the
athletic department, 51 percent of students earn a degree or trans­
fer to a four-year university.
3.3 GPA across the board. The men’s
wrestling team has been nation­
ally recognized for their academic
achievements for the last two years.
They placed first and second in aca­
demic standards, respectively.
“If they want to play, then they
better have the grades first,” said
Head Track and Field/Cross Country
Coach Keoni McHone.
A random sampling of athletes
wandering about in the gym on a
typical afternoon reveals that most of
them are involved in other extracur-
ricular activities such as volunteer
projects, charities and church groups.
The athletic department’s objective is
to help students pursue their educa­
tion and, ultimately, reach out to the
world beyond sports.
“Each year, we have better than
51 percent of our kids earn a degree
or transfer to a higher education pro­
gram,” Jackson said. “Our [depart­
ment] goal is to have them pursue
their education as far as their abili­
ties will take them.