CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Luther College softball player Shari Huber (Eldridge, Iowa / North Scott) has been named the Johanna Olson IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2012-2013 academic year.
 
"This is always a special day for our office and for the conference,” said Iowa Conference Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. “Among the many outstanding nominees for the Duane Schroeder and Johanna Olson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards, two model Iowa Conference young people emerged. Wyatt Hanus put up dizzying numbers on the field and in the classroom at the University of Dubuque. Shari Huber meshed her excellent school work with stellar play for a Luther softball team that was one of the best in Division III during her career. Not surprisingly, both Wyatt and Shari are still achieving great things. We look forward to honoring both of them – and the other nominees who made for an extremely competitive selection process – at our annual banquet in May."
 
Huber graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2013 after posting a 3.946 grade point average while majoring in exercise science with a biology minor. She was named to the Dean’s List in seven of eight semesters, earning induction into Phi Beta Kappa as a senior as well as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Additionally, Huber was a third-team CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America® as a junior and an academic all-district selection as a junior and senior. She was also a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete and a three-time member of the Iowa Conference All-Academic Team. Huber was also the Iowa Conference’s nominee for the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Iowa.

I have been impressed by her thoughtfulness, her work ethic and her true interest in the well-being of others,” noted Luther College Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the College and Professor of Biology Kevin Kraus. “Shari is outgoing and upbeat. I’m very impressed with her perceptiveness of others and their needs. Shari is serious and mature; she handles herself well in all situations in which I have observed. Shari seems to have earned the respect of her peers; she interacts well with the faculty in the biology department. Shari works well in a group or independently; Shari has a can-do attitude about her. Shari has a good sense of humor and she seems to enjoy being with others; she is a ‘people person’.”
 
“Although I knew that Shari was busy … I have not seen [her] appear harried, unorganized or rushed,” added Kraus. “Shari enjoys the challenges of a busy life and handles all her responsibilities well. She has a good handle on priorities and she has what it takes to be successful in many endeavors at once.”
 
“Shari was a focused, purposeful, and exceptional scholar,” added Luther College Associate Professor of Management Rob Larson. “She [was] a student first and a complete member of the Luther community second.”
 
During her time at Luther, Huber was a Luther College Regents Scholar and a member of Beta Beta Beta, the national biological honor society. A team captain during her final two seasons as a member of the Norse softball team, she also represented the softball team on Luther’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee – serving as Vice-President in 2012-13 – and with Luther Athletes Serving Others. Huber also helped organize and coordinate Luther’s Take a Kid to the Game and Second Grade Mini-Clinic events and participated in Fall Fling, where Luther students do yard work for elderly and disable members of the community one Saturday each fall, and Christmas Cheer, where donations are collected from student-athletes to purchase holiday gifts for local families. She also led a group of Special Olympics athletes through a challenge course and took part in team-building activities and participated in a local Adopt-a-Resident program, which involved engaging in activities and conversations with a local nursing home resident once a week over a 6-week period. Huber was also a 2011 NCAA Leadership Forum participant and an active participant in Luther’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a huddle leader and a contact for the group on campus while organizing biweekly group meetings. She also spent time as an assistant softball coach at Decorah High School.
 
“Shari definitely put her stamp on our program,” added Luther Head Softball Coach Renae Hartl. “Her character and work ethic are in ‘a league of their own’ as she set standards for our team to strive for every day. Seeing her rehabilitate and strengthen her knee for endless hours for over two years was truly amazing and she did it all for her teammates, coaches, and her softball program. Although Shari received many individual honors throughout her college softball career, she would tell you the team’s accomplishments are the only ones that mattered. Knowing what she had to overcome with her knee, it still brings tears to my eyes thinking about what she accomplished as a softball player at Luther College.”
 
Huber was a two-time all-Iowa Conference selection that played on Luther softball teams that won two Iowa Conference titles (2011, 2012), three IIAC Tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013) and four NCAA Regionals to advance to the NCAA Division III Championship finals where the Norse finished tied for fifth three times. She was also a two-time first-team all-region selection (2012, 2013), a 2012 NFCA Division III Third Team All-American and was named to two regional all-tournament teams (2012 Pella, 2013 Whitewater) and the 2013 NCAA Division III Championship Finals All-Tournament Team. Huber, an outfielder, graduated as Luther's career leader in batting average (.399), hits (206) and runs scored (167) and ranked third in doubles (35) and walks (79) and sixth in triples (10) and stolen bases (27). On March 14, 2012, Shari and her Norse teammates were given the No. 1 spot in the NFCA Division III Top 25 poll – a first for any Luther College athletics team in any sport.
 
In addition to these accomplishments, she was also a four-time letter-winner and was named the Luther softball program’s “Rookie of the Year” in 2010 and “Offensive Player of the Year” in 2013. Huber also received a Luther College Norse Award in 2013.
 
Huber and this year’s male honoree – former University of Dubuque football player Wyatt Hanus -- will be honored in May at the Conference’s annual awards banquet.
 
Also nominated for the 2012-2013 Johanna Olson IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year were former Central College cross country and track & field athlete Melony McDermott (Britt, Iowa / West Hancock), former Coe College volleyball player Emily Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa / Mount Vernon), former University of Dubuque soccer/basketball/track and field athlete Ashley Barwick (Appleton, Wis. / Xavier), former Loras College basketball player Brittney Cato (Chicago, Ill. / Latin) and former Simpson College basketball player Kate Nielsen (Urbandale, Iowa / Johnston)
 
About the IIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards
The IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award was 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. She 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. Originally named for longtime Wartburg sports information director and Iowa Conference secretary-treasurer Duane Schroeder, the women’s award was renamed in December 2013 in honor and memory of inaugural winner Johanna Olson (see below).
 
Previous recipients of the IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year include Johanna Olson (2000-01, Luther College track and cross country), Brianne Schoonover (2001-02, Wartburg College basketball and track), Jessica Jensen (2002-03, Buena Vista University basketball and track), Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (2003-04, Central College volleyball and track), Amy Ernst (2004-05, Coe College softball), Katie Pederson (2005-06, Central College volleyball and track),  Abby Erion (2006-07, Loras College track & field), Kristy Upah (2007-08, Coe College volleyball), Kelsey Steffens (2008-09, Wartburg College volleyball and track & field), Hannah Baker (2009-10, Wartburg College track & field), Jill (Ziskovsky) Halcomb (2010-11, Central College track & field) and Kelsey (Kittleson) Millonig (2011-12, Luther College softball).
 
About Johanna Olson
The IIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is named in honor of the late Johanna Olson, a former cross country and track & field student-athlete at Luther College who was the inaugural recipient of the award. Olson battled brain cancer for over 15 years before her fight ended on January 3, 2013 at age 33. She was originally diagnosed with a brain tumor as a college freshman in 1997 but went on to win the 2000 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship three years to the day after her initial brain surgery. In addition to the national title in cross country, she won three Iowa Conference Individual Championships and three IIAC Most Valuable Runner awards (1999, 2000, 2001). In track and field, she was the 2001 IIAC Most Valuable Performer, earning All-America honors in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs. Olson was also a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team that captured the indoor national title. She was named the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) regional and national Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track and field in 2000-01. In 1999, Olson was presented the Honda Awards Inspirational Athlete of the Year after returning from radiation treatments to compete at the national level.