March 6, 2006

KINGSTON, R.I. - Senior Melanie Kasparek (Trumbull, Conn.) of the Rhode Island women's soccer team, has been awarded the NCAA Fall Sport Postgraduate Scholarship by the National Selection Committee. Kasparek is the second student-athlete in URI history to be awarded the scholarship and is also the only athlete from the Atlantic 10 to yield the honor this year. Kasparek is majoring in psychology and holds a cumulative GPA of 3.97 with plans to attend graduate school in school psychology.

The NCAA awards 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports. For each sports season (fall, winter and spring), there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women.

"I am thrilled for Melanie," said head soccer coach Zac Shaw. "Melanie really does personify the NCAA ideal of excellence on and off the field. She's demonstrated commitment and dedication to excel in the classroom as well as on the soccer field. It's a great honor not only for Melanie, but for our program and for the whole department."

The URI Centennial Scholar boasts a 3.97 grade point average majoring in psychology and has been named to the Dean's List every semester. Kasparek was designated as a University College Scholar at the conclusion of her freshman year -- an award that recognizes and rewards the ten top-achieving students in each freshman class -- and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society last spring.

Kasparek, the 2002 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and the 2003 and 2005 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year, was voted the conference's Student-Athlete of the Year in both 2003 and 2005 by the league's sports information directors. She scored 13 goals and had five assists this season, ranking second all-time for URI in career points (123, just off the school record of 125), career goals (50), and assists (23).

In addition, Kasparek was named to both the 2004 and 2005 ESPN-The Magazine Women's Soccer Academic All-American Team.

Since 2001, URI has forwarded eight nominations to the NCAA regional screening committee for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, with six student-athletes attaining national finalist status. In addition to Kasparek, finalists include Yolanda Bogacz (Volleyball, 2001), Erin Silvering (Cross Country/Track & Field, 2002), Shane Laisle (Football, 2003), Joy Hess (Field Hockey, 2004), and Heidi Westerling (Cross Country/Track & Field, 2005) with Hess winning URI's first NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2004.

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HEAD COACH: ZAC SHAW

• 401-874-5233

• zshaw@mail.uri.edu

ASST. COACH JEN FRISCH

• 401-874-4840

• jenfrisch@uri.edu

ASST. COACH: EMILY SHAW

• 401-874-5233

• emily@uri.edu