March 10, 2009
DAVIS, Calif. - Men's swimmer Adam Borchard and women's tennis player Randi Schuler have been selected as the UC Davis recipients of the 2008-09 Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Both student-athletes will be honored on Thursday, March 12 during a 9:00 a.m. breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort. The duo earned the accolades for their superior efforts on and off the field of competition.
Borchard, a sophomore from Carmichael, excels in the pool as one of the Aggies best distance freestyle swimmers. After finishing in the top eight in each of the three distance events at the Big West Championships as a freshman last season, Borchard put together his best showing at the championships two weeks ago by finishing third in the 1,650 free, fifth in the 500 free, sixth in the 1,000 free to score 43 points. His time of 15:23.94 in the 1,650 is the second-fastest in school history while his mark of 9:15.97 in the 1,000 ranks third.
Out of the water Borchard excels academically with a 3.92 GPA in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He was the top-ranked freshmen in a class of 838 at the conclusion of the 2007 Fall quarter and has been named to the Dean's List three consecutive times. Borchard also helps out in the community as a volunteer with the Saddle Pals Therapeutic Riding Center, which is sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy and helps children with developmental and physical disabilities.
Schuler, a senior from nearby Woodland, is the No. 1 singles and doubles player for the Aggies and earned Big West first-team honors last season for her singles play. She also nabbed honorable mention acclaim for her efforts on the doubles side and was named the team's MVP. As a two-time team captain, Schuler continues to lead UC Davis this season with four singles victories at No. 1 while sitting second with 12 wins in doubles. Her 18 overall victories also place her among team leaders.
Off the court Schuler's academic excellent is highlighted by her 3.95 GPA as an English major. She is also on track to attend medical school following graduation. She has made the Dean's List and Intercollegiate Honor Roll in four consecutive quarters. Schuler's writing endeavours have produced a full-length fantasy novel entitled Lords of Power, which she is in the process of editing in hopes of meeting with a literary agent to discuss possible publication. The novel began as a short story and has evolved into a possible trilogy series. In addition, Schuler volunteers her time at the UC Davis Medical Center and Cats About Town Society (CATS), which helps finds homes for cats who would otherwise be euthanized.
Schuler and Borchard will be honored along with the other reciepents from the nine conference schools in Anaheim as part of the Big West basketball tournaments that are taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center.
