Riske, Martin Named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists 3/31/03

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Women’s tennis senior Sarah Riske (McMurray, Pa.) and football senior Mike Martin (Tampa, Fla.) have been named Vanderbilt’s recipients of a Southeastern Conference Post-graduate scholarship and are now finalists for the 2002-03 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.

Riske and Martin will both be given a $5,000 scholarship for post-graduate studies. The SEC Faculty Athletics Representatives Boyd McWhorter Selection Committee will choose the outstanding male and female student-athlete and each will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the ALLTEL Corporation. The award will be presented to the two winners in May at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.

Riske is the top player on the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team. She is currently ranked No. 11 nationally in singles and No. 1 in doubles with partner Aleke Tsoubanos by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Riske, who earned All-American honors in 2002, is nearing the 200-win plateau for her career, as she won 97 singles and 101 doubles matches. She has won at least 20 singles matches all four of her years at Vanderbilt.

Riske will graduate in May with a degree in Psychology. The daughter of Carol and Albert Riske, Sarah has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll following her sophomore and junior years. She has helped lead the Commodores to a 15-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the SEC up to this point in the season.

Martin, a four-year letterman on the Vanderbilt football team, was a top reserve in the defensive secondary and one of the Commodores' finest special teams players during his career. He recovered two fumbles while forcing two fumbles during his career. Martin saw action in all 44 games of his four-year varsity career.

As a senior at Jesuit High School, Mike was president of his class and was a member of the National Honor Society, graduating in the top 5 percent of the class. The son of James and Mattie Martin, Mike has been active with Men Promoting A Situation, an on-campus organization that brings awareness of women’s issues. He will graduate this May with a degree in Human and Organizational Development, concentrating on the leadership track.