CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Coe College baseball player Ryan Schisler (Morrison, Ill./Morrison) has been named the Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2010-2011 academic year.
“When we talk about the Iowa Conference's vision for our student-athletes – Integrity, Integration, Achievement, Character – we are provided countless examples on all of our campuses,” said Iowa Conference Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. “Central’s Jill (Ziskovsky) Halcomb and Coe’s Ryan Schisler deservedly rose to the top of the list in the final vote. I want to congratulate and thank them, along with the other finalists, for their embodiment of the total student-athlete experience, combining academic, athletic, and campus life pursuits.”
Schisler graduated Cum Laude in May 2010 with a 3.988 grade point average as a history major with a secondary education certification. He enrolled in Coe’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program during the 2010-2011 academic year while exhausting his athletic eligibility. Schisler was also a two-time CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America®, garnering first team honors in 2010 and second team honors in 2011, and was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. In addition, he is a rare four-time member of the Iowa Conference All-Academic Team after being granted a fifth year of eligibility following a season-ending back injury early in his freshman campaign. Schisler was also named to the Coe College Dean’s List seven times. He is currently an admissions counselor at his alma mater while continuing his pursuit of a Master of Arts in Teaching.
“Ryan is clearly one of those students who is as much about process as he is about results, a trait that might well come from being a dedicated athlete,” said Coe College Associate Professor of History Derek Buckaloo. “From the first, Ryan struck me as a student who was a rare and wonderful combination, both quite talented and driven to work hard and improve. Both in the history department and in our teacher education program, professors recognized, and commented on, the consistent quality of Ryan’s work. He is an extraordinarily intelligent, mature, and driven person.”
“[Ryan] is a diligent scholar whose communication skills in writing and speaking excel,” added Coe College Professor of Education and Associate Dean of the Faculty Terry McNabb. “In addition to being an exceptional student and baseball player, he has served the Cedar Rapids community in several ways. Ryan has worked with special needs children and adults in both paid and volunteer positions for three years. We have had several conversations about how meaningful this work is to him, and I can only imagine the role he has played in the lives of the clients he served.”
A three-year captain on the Kohawks’ baseball team, Schisler also served as a mentor at McKinley Middle School in 2010 tutoring students in math and reading. He was also a member of Coe’s student-athlete advisory committee, helping to coordinate on-campus engagement activities and community outreach programs including the campus Toys-for-Tots drive, sports campus for elementary and middle school students, and student mentoring programs. Since 2009, Schisler has served in various capacities at The Arc of East Central Iowa working with children, teenagers, and adults with physical and mental disabilities. As part of the The Arc, he has worked individually with, and served as a role model for, several teenagers who struggle with physical, mental, and social impairments. He has also volunteered as an instructor and mentor for TPX and Demarini baseball camps.
“Ryan goes unmatched in his work ethic, competitive drive, leadership, and performance under pressure,” said Coe College Head Baseball Coach Steve Cook. “[He] was a model of consistency on the field. It’s the little things for us coaches -- the hustle on and off the field, the enthusiasm for the team’s success when personally it didn’t go as well, and the true belief in the importance of being a positive contributor to an effort bigger than oneself. These things are Ryan Schisler. The respect he has from players and coaches goes well beyond his success on the playing field. He lives his life with integrity, honesty, compassion, and trustworthiness. Ryan has been a strong leader for our program, developing effective relationships with the coaches to better lead his peers. Some of my best player-coach conversations were with Ryan and almost always the topic was how he could help make our team better.”
Cook added, “Ryan defines passion as well as anyone I have ever coached. He prepared his life in and out of the classroom with self-discipline and self-motivation; personal accolades were never his motivation. I believe this commitment comes from an inner drive to push limits, be the best he can, and leave nothing to chance.”
Schisler was a two-time all-Iowa Conference selection – earning first-team honors in the outfield in 2010 and second-team honors at third base in 2009. He ranks second all-time at Coe in career doubles (43), fourth in hits (199), fifth in at-bats (554) and batting average (.359), sixth in RBI (106), and seventh in runs scored (115). During the 2010 season, Schisler posted marks in hits (67), batting average (.416), and at-bats (161) that rank third, ninth, and 10th, respectively, on the Kohawks’ single-season charts. He helped the Kohawks set a school record for wins with 32 in 2011, winning Iowa Conference regular season and tournament titles and advancing to the NCAA regional tournament in the process.
In addition to his exploits on the diamond, Schisler was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi (all-discipline) honor society and received the Courtney Award (male student-athlete with highest GPA), Brian L. Shappert Memorial Award (outstanding History student), and Linnie E. Schloeman Prize (top Teacher Education student in the Secondary field) upon receiving his undergraduate degree in 2010.
Also nominated for the 2010-2011 Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year were former Cornell College cross country and track & field athlete Kirkwood Donavin (Salt Lake City, Utah/West), former University of Dubuque wrestler Josh Terrell (Beach Park, Ill./Round Lake), and former Wartburg College wrestler Adam Weber (Gilbertville, Iowa/Don Bosco).
Previous recipients of the Duane Schroeder IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year include Tim Vinyard (2000-01, Coe College football and baseball), Dale Biser (2001-02, Cornell College football and track), Jesse Harris (2002-03, Simpson College basketball), Brent Showalter (2003-04, Wartburg College track), Garrett South (2004-05, Luther College wrestling), Adam Duerfeldt (2005-06, Central College baseball), Adam Bohach (2006-07, Luther College cross country and track & field), Kyle Duchman (2007-08, Wartburg College football), Alec Bonander (2008-09, Luther College wrestling) and Tyler Burkle (2009-10, Coe College wrestling).
About the Duane Schroeder IIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
The Duane Schroeder IIAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards were first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. He must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement and leadership.
About Duane Schroeder
The Duane Schroeder IIAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, the former Wartburg College sports information director. Schroeder served as Wartburg’s SID for 43 years until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement from his sports information duties, he was named SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg’s News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg, Schroeder served as the IIAC’s secretary and treasurer.
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