April 29, 2008
The UIC Athletic Department continues to define itself not only by wins and losses, championship banners and NCAA Tournament appearances, but by its many triumphs off the playing field, both in the classroom and in the community, as well.
While many are aware of UIC's recent on-field achievements, there are often many other success stories that are integral to the department's mission statement that go unrecognized.
"Our student-athletes not only devote time to their craft of athletic expertise, but countless hours towards their academic goals and community involvement," UIC Director of Athletics Jim Schmidt said. "Yet often it's the case when only one side of those hours gets trumpeted."
The UIC Athletic Department does have plenty to boast about outside of the playing field.
The department's graduation success rate released this past fall was at 89%, which ranks well above the campus average of 46%. It also ranked as the second best rate in the state of Illinois, behind only Northwestern (98%), and was tops among Chicago schools.
The most recent academic term concluded with UIC student-athletes owning a combined 2.84 GPA with 125 earning a 3.0 GPA or better while 21 boasted a perfect 4.0 GPA.
UIC student-athletes were also recognized this year by the National Consortium for Academics in Sports for their work in the community with the department's 8,200 combined community service hours at numerous events throughout the year ranking 24th, tops in Illinois, on the NCAS Honor Roll.
The UIC Athletic Department will recognize many of its individual achievements off the playing field at the annual `Night of Champions', on Tuesday, April 29. The event honors UIC's male and female student-athletes of the year, each individual team's student-athlete of the year, special scholarship recipients and 59 student-athletes who have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for the past three academic terms.
"It is a great night to recognize those who have dedicated themselves to epitomizing the modern student-athlete," Schmidt said. "What these student-athletes have done is second to none and deserves to be applauded."
A Desire To Be The Best In The Classroom
Peter Ifft loves the thrill of competition.
A 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher for the UIC baseball team, Ifft is an imposing presence on the mound who isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with a hitter.
But the third-year student-athlete's stuff is even more impressive in the classroom.
"I see myself competing with the students. I think of class very much as a competition," said Ifft. "I don't want to be among the top 10 students, but I want to be the top student in the class. I want the teacher to know that, fair and square, I'm going to outperform everybody in the class.
"That's my goal. It may sound ambitious or arrogant, but that's because I want to be the best at what I am."
Ifft's best has produced some great results. This year he will earn his second consecutive UIC Male Student-Athlete of the Year award after maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a bioengineering major. Last year he was also honored with the prestigious Aileen S. Andrew Award and Academic All-Horizon League accolades for his achievements.
After sitting out the 2006 season as a redshirt year, Ifft has also made significant contributions on the diamond during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. He is a key spot starter and reliever who has struck out 19 batters and owns a 2.86 career earned run average in just over 22 innings of work as of press time.
The key to Ifft's success in the academic and athletic facets of his college life is prioritizing.
"You really have to see where your priorities are," said Ifft. "You're given a very limited amount of time on your own where you have the ability to spend it however you want, and most of the time falls on the weekends. It might involve giving up a Friday or Saturday night to get ahead or to catch up on work.
"A lot of people will put in the time during the week, put aside an hour or two to do homework assignments, but I think the difference comes in when you are able to set your priorities and say that my education is the most important thing for me, so I'm going to spend my time getting ahead and study when I need to study."
Those time constraints become even greater when factoring in Ifft's baseball commitments. In addition to games and practice, student-athletes have other daily team functions, including meetings, study sessions, training, and other responsibilities that require plenty of hours. Traveling for road games also takes its toll.
Ifft stated that the amount of school work fluctuates depending on the dates of mid-terms and finals and the amount of classes he is taking, but he estimates he puts in anywhere from 25-40 hours of studying a week. But the real test for Ifft is the timing of those exams; most take place at the height of the baseball season.
"There are really no excuses I can make, because I'm equally committed to both," said Ifft. "That's a sacrifice I make, and it gets very stressful, but it averages out. It can be done."
Helping Ifft meet his two-pronged obligation as a student-athlete are the resources provided by the UIC Athletic Department, such as the Port Academic Center and the Margaret "Peggy" Cebulski Study Center located inside the baseball team's clubhouse. But Ifft believes the best resources to assist student-athletes in their studies are the same people that help them achieve greatness on the field of play.
"It starts with the coaches," said Ifft. "Our coaches are very dedicated to getting us the hours we need to study. They know our schedules. Our practice schedules are very busy. They realize that we need to get our work in."
Getting his work in has not been a problem for Ifft, who plans on continuing his studies by pursuing a PhD.
Ifft's competitive drive as both a student and a pitcher brought him to UIC, a place where he contends with the cream of the crop academically and athletically. If his current success is any indication, that same thirst to compete will serve Ifft well in his post-collegiate pursuits.
Perfection On And Off The Court
Jenna Reisch had a fantastic inaugural year on the UIC women's tennis team. As a freshman in 2007, Reisch compiled a perfect 7-0 record in both singles and doubles matches against Horizon League foes, aiding the Flames to an 11th straight conference title and a ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Just this past Sunday the LaGrange, Ill. native helped UIC extend those streaks by contributing to the Flames' 2008 tournament run, capped by a 12th league title in as many years.
Beyond the court, in the classroom, Reisch is just as perfect. Honing her academic prowess while double-majoring in psychology and communications, she has earned a 4.0 grade point average through three semesters at UIC.
For her efforts she will be honored as the UIC Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the department's `Night of Champions'.
Reisch recently added her communications major because she thinks "it will broaden my choices as far as future plans go. Right now I'm still seeing what my options are."
Planning ahead is a key component to her daily routine.
"Both semesters this year, from the time I wake up until after practice, every day, I just keep finding a way to relax while doing everything I want to accomplish at once," Reisch said. "It's quite a balance."
Reisch says that she works very hard at her studies because it doesn't come easily and she is not someone who can just float through classes with minimal effort.
"This semester's been stressful," said Reisch. "I might not have a 4.0 (GPA) forever, but I'm still going to work hard at everything I do."
The Flames started off the season with seven away matches, with drives stretching from as far east as northern Ohio and as far west as southern Missouri. Long trips in the van, while teammates are talking or listening to music, can certainly be stressful.
"Studying is tough, especially with a lot of road games during the season," Reisch said.
Reisch has a strong support system in place, at home or on the road; this comes courtesy of her teammates, who echo her mentality of academics being just as important as athletics.
"A lot of my teammates have the same classes, so we study together sometimes," said Reisch. "It's kind of like the competition comes off the court, with everyone wanting to do well in class, too."
Interaction with teammates has extended beyond the classroom and practice for the women's tennis squad, as the Flames volunteered with Girls in the Game during the off-season.
The UIC student-athletes assisted the after-school program that helped grade school girls with homework, various projects and sports participation.
"I really liked it," Reisch said of her experience. "It was a nice means of getting the team away from the court, but still being together."
The experience may have sparked a future career interest for Reisch.
"I do know I want to do something that deals with helping people," Reisch said.
