06/28/2010

Fishburn Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) - The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today (Monday, June 28, 2010) that recent Thomas More College graduate Chris Fishburn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) has been named a recipient of the NCAA Spring Postgraduate Scholarship.  He is just one of 29 male scholar-athletes across all three NCAA Divisions to receive this honor.

Fishburn will be awarded a $7,500 scholarship to be used towards graduate school expenses next year at the University of Cincinnati where he will attend graduate school.

"Chris is an outstanding example of a true student-athlete as he balanced academics and athletics successfully to have an outstanding career at Thomas More on the baseball diamond and in the classroom," said Athletic Director Terry Connor.

"This award couldn't be going to a better student-athlete and person then Chris," Head Baseball Coach Jeff Hetzer said.  "Excelling in the classroom and on the baseball field is very important to the Thomas More baseball program and Chris is a good example to the underclassmen and future Saints to show how to excel in both arenas.

Fishburn, who graduated last month with a 3.96 grade point average in sports entertainment and marketing, was a first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America selection this season by the College Sports Information Directors of America.  He was a third team selection in 2009 and was named to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll all four season, while also being named All-PAC three times.  He leaves Thomas More with three career records.  He owns the Thomas More career record in hits (215), runs scored (162) and at-bats (603).  Fishburn is also in the top-10 in two other categories as he is seven in RBI with 129 and tied for eighth in doubles with 34.

This scholarship is presented to student-athletes in their final season of competition, who have shown high performances in both the classroom and on the playing field.  Since 1964, the NCAA scholarship has annually been awarded to 174 student-athletes promoting and encouraging postgraduate education.