Joseph Mittel Awarded Prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
June 04, 2004 | Swimming & Diving
June 4, 2004
NCAA AWARDS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS IN WINTER SPORTS
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, -- University of Louisville swimmer Joseph Mittel was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Mittel, this year's captain and U of L record holder, will be entering medical school at U of L this fall.
"I am thrilled for Joseph to receive this prestigious award. His work ethic and dedication in-and-out of the pool was impeccable and unquestionably he earned the honor to be a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Winner." said first year U of L head coach Arthur Albiero, whose squad set an unprecedented 19 school records this season
The NCAA has awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each to 29 men and 29 women who participated in winter sports, which included women's archery, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, women's squash, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's synchronized swimming, women's team handball, men's and women's indoor track and field, and wrestling.
Swimmers dominated the list with a total of 24 postgrad scholarships.
"His leadership skills were a tremendous asset to our team and our success during my first year as Head Coach Louisville. We will surely miss him next season, but his legacy will be forever etched in our program. I am personally honored to have had the opportunity to coach him," said Albiero.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.
"He was named one of the Outstanding Senior Student Athletes at U of L. You never have to worry about him. He was on the Dean's List every semester he was here and I can remember maybe, one B his whole career at U of L," said Scott Sallade, Mittel's athletic academic counselor. "He also got a minor in Latin which will serve him well in Medical school. I don't think I can remember another student minoring in Latin. I consider him to be the consummate student-athlete. If you had a team of 15 Josephs, no matter what sport you were coaching, you couldn't lose."
In addition to the winter sport honorees, the NCAA also awards 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and spring sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or designates as an emerging sport, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually.
Candidates are screened by seven regional selection committees, and the winners are selected by the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.
