Moore Receives WIAC Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award

Seniors Cheyenne Moore of UW-Oshkosh and Kaitlyn McDaniel of UW-La Crosse have been named the 2017 recipients of the WIAC Judy Kruckman Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Award.

Moore becomes the 10th Titan to win the award and the first since Ayla Mitchell in 2009. Other UW-Oshkosh recipients were Joan Handziak in 1982, Cheryl Niederberger in 1988, Marina Colby in 1989, Melissa Langlois in 1991, Nicole Iverson in 1996, Tiffany Speckman in 1997, Sara Holewinski in 2001 and Liz Woodworth in 2004.

Moore is majoring in nursing and owns a 3.74 cumulative grade point average. The three-time WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll member was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's 2016 All-Academic Cross Country team and been a UW-Oshkosh Dean's List member on four occasions.

A two-year team captain, Moore won her second straight WIAC Cross Country Championship race on Oct. 28 in Whitewater. She outran 87 other competitors to become the seventh Titan to win multiple WIAC titles. Moore won last year's race in Stevens Point after finishing 15th at the league championship in 2014 and 45th in 2015.

Moore has won four of her five races this season. In addition to her victory at the WIAC Championship, she also won the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 23, UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational on Sept. 29 and the UW-Oshkosh Kollege Town Sports Invitational on Oct. 14.

Last season, Moore finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and 45th at the NCAA Division III Championship. She also placed 73rd at the NCAA regional in 2014.

Moore has worked as a certified nursing assistant and as a carpenter's assistant. Her volunteering list includes reading with children in elementary schools, bell ringing with the Salvation Army, Fox Cities Marathon, UW-Oshkosh Move-In Weekend, Oshkosh Summer Fun Run for children, and helping chronically ill and hospitalized children.

Also nominated for this year's award were UW-Eau Claire's Callie Fischer; UW-Platteville's Hannah Ihlenfeldt; UW-River Falls' Abigail Fouts, UW-Stout's Sylvia Lechnir; and UW-Whitewater's Liz Mielke.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October 1984 - September 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.