Kelly Ball Named Miami's Male Athlete of the Year
7/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
July 9, 2003
Oxford, Ohio - Five student-athletes will be honored as the best and brightest in Miami University Athletics at halftime of the Oct. 11 football game versus Buffalo where the school's annual Athlete of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are to be presented. Kelly Ball (Granger, Ind./Penn) from men's swimming and diving was tabbed the 2002-03 Male Athlete of the Year, while Danielle Berkemeier (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) from women's soccer and Andrea Kremer (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) from women's cross country/track and field share 2002-03 Female Athlete of the Year honors. Football's Eddie Tillitz (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) was named Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and volleyball's Jennifer Eaton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) earned Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades.
"The Miami community can be very proud of these student-athletes who have achieved high levels of success in their respective areas," said Miami University Athletics Director Brad Bates. "These five are true student-athletes and have represented Miami with great integrity."
Ball earned first-team all-MAC status during the 2002-03 season for the second consecutive year and was named MAC Senior Swimmer of the Year. In MAC regular-season competition, Ball went undefeated in every individual event in which he competed. For the season, he collected 16 first-place finishes. Ball clocked the MAC's fastest time in the 200-yard freestyle and the second-fastest times in the 200-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle. At the MAC Championships, Ball posted third-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly, while placing fifth in the 500-yard freestyle. He was one of eight swimmers to earn both all-MAC and academic all-MAC recognition and was tabbed the league's swimmer of the week and scholar-athlete of the week on Jan. 21. Three times during his career Ball has garnered all-MAC recognition, including first-team distinction the past two seasons. He has been named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll the last three years and was an academic all-MAC selection the last two years.
Berkemeier ended her Miami career as the MAC's all-time leading scorer, ranking first in all-time goals and third in assists. Her 19 goals and 44 points during the 2002 campaign are Miami single-season records. She owns the top three single-season point totals at Miami. Berkemeier was tabbed the MAC 2002 Player of the Year and earned first-team all-MAC recognition for the third time in her career. Leading Miami to its first regular-season crown and third-consecutive MAC Tournament title, Berkemeier garnered all-tournament team accolades for the second consecutive year and lifted her team to its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The team defeated Michigan State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament before falling to Michigan in the second round. Berkemeier earned NSCAA Third-Team All-America honors and was a first-team Great Lakes Region selection by both SoccerBuzz.com and the NSCAA. Her illustrious career also includes plaudits such as MAC Freshman of the Year, four-time all-MAC selection, four-time first-team all-Ohio selection, four-time all-NSCAA all-region selection and Third-Team Freshman SoccerBuzz.com all-American.
Kremer earned all-America status for the third time in her career, placing 10th at the NCAA Championships in the 3,000-meter steeple chase after earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships by winning the 3,000-meter steeple chase at the Mideast Regional. Catapulting the track and field team to its best MAC Championship showing since 1986-a second-place finish-Kremer captured titles in the 3,000-meter steeple chase and 5,000-meter run at the MAC meet and placed sixth in the 1,500-meter run. Her time in the 3,000-meter steeple chase was nearly 11 seconds faster than her nearest competitor and she established a track record in the 5,000-meter run. Kremer was a first-team all-MAC selection in both cross country and track and field. She also earned Verizon Academic All-District IV First Team distinction and was an academic all-MAC selection in both cross country and track and field. Twice during the 2002-03 season, Kremer was decorated as the MAC's Runner of the Week and was also named MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week. This is Kremer's second Miami Female Athlete of the Year honor, as she garnered the award as a freshman.
Tillitz, who owns a 3.49 grade-point average, will graduate with a degree in zoology in August. Twice Tillitz earned Verizon Academic All-District IV First Team honors and was a Second-Team Verizon Academic All-American as a sophomore. A two-sport athlete, competing in both football and baseball his freshman and sophomore seasons, Tillitz earned two letters in baseball and three letters in football. He finished his football career ranking first in Miami history and third in the MAC record books with 925 punt return yards. During his sophomore season, Tillitz turned in a MAC-record-setting and NCAA-record-tying performance at Eastern Michigan, setting the league mark for punt return yardage in a game with 162 yards versus the Eagles.
Eaton earned a degree in psychology in December and boasted a 3.73 grade-point average during her Miami tenure while taking the rigorous pre-medicine course track which has since evolved into her acceptance to medical school. She is a two-time Verizon Academic All-District IV Second Team selection. Amassing 128 block assists as a junior, Eaton established a single-season standard in the category. She finished her Miami career ranking fourth on Miami's career block assist chart and tied for eighth for career solo blocks. Eaton also boasts a Miami record four career triple-doubles. As a junior, she was selected to the MAC All-Tournament Team and was a second-team all-MAC pick. She finished her junior campaign ranked 13th nationally in blocks and tied for the national lead in single-season triple-doubles in 2001.
Miami's Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors are awarded to any student-athlete (freshman, sophomore, junior or senior) who has made significant athletic contributions to his or her respective team for that academic year. The Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards are bestowed upon a student-athlete of senior standing, who has excelled in the classroom as well as in the athletic arena.
