Milwaukee swimmer Jeremy Waldhart was the male recipient of
this year’s honor.
“We are exceptionally proud of what Jeremy and Jackie have accomplished in
their collegiate careers as individuals and as members of successful teams,”
said LeCrone. “While student-athletes so often get praised for their work on
the court or on the field, the Coleman Award also recognizes athletes for their
character and tireless efforts in the classroom and community. These two
individuals exemplify what our four platforms are all about, and we wish them well
in their future endeavors.”
Kondratko becomes the first Crusader to earn the Coleman Award since Valpo’s
inception into the Horizon League in 2007. The senior led Valpo in goals
scored in 2008 and 2009 and finished her career as the seventh-highest scorer
in school history. The 2009 team captain tied a single-season record for
match-winning goals with four while piloting her squad to the Horizon League
Championship game.
“I am excited for Jackie being presented the Coleman Award,” said Valparaiso women’s soccer
coach John Marovich. “Our
women’s soccer program’s mission through our University is to develop strong,
confident and powerful women ready to accomplish amazing things. Ms.
Kondratko is a fantastic example of this by her commitment to being a champion
in the classroom, in competition and in the community. The respect given
to her from her coaches, administrators, professors, teammates, opponents and
peers has been earned from her consistent display of character, leadership and
outgoing personality over her career. Today, I am pleased she is being
recognized for these actions and I am honored she is a Valparaiso University
alumnus.”
Off the field, Kondratko shined just as bright, if not brighter. She was
named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-American First Team, the only Horizon League senior to
receive
first-team honors this past season. On campus she earned several honors
including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Female Athlete of the
Year,
the Rebecca D. Carter Memorial Award and the 2010 Alumni Association
Distinguished Student Award for the
College
of Engineering, among
many other honors and distinctions. The mechanical engineering graduate
even had a paper published in the 2010 International Symposium on Bio- and Medical
Informatics and Cybernetics titled “A Point Vibration Therapy Device for
Individuals on the Autism Spectrum”.
“Jackie represents the very
best attributes of a Valpo engineer,” Kraig
Olejniczak, dean of the College
of Engineering said. “She
demonstrates excellence in her profession while also giving back to her
community, and most importantly, she has accomplished all of this with a great
deal of selfless humility.”
The October 2009 Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Month took part in
numerous extracurricular activities during her tenure at Valpo. She
served two years with SAAC and one year as the senior class gift chair for the
Senior Planning Council. Her time with Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor
society) was spent as vice president as she planned the College of Engineering
banquet. Kondratko also served as treasurer and vice president (scholarship
chair) for Chi Omega and tutored an elementary school student when she was home
from school.
“Jackie epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete,” said Valparaiso
Athletic Director Mark LaBarbera.
“She has excelled on the soccer field and in her engineering classes.
She is a leader on campus and in the community. We are very proud
of all her accomplishments.”
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