Wayne State track and field athlete Derek Lahm and softball player Katelyn Wobken were each awarded the fourth-annual Butch Raymond Scholarship, sponsored by Sanford Health announced by the NSIC office.
The scholarship is in recognition of Butch Raymond, the NSIC Commissioner from 2004-2014. For over a decade, Raymond led the NSIC from an eight team league to a 16-team super-conference. During his tenure, the league won 13 national championships while achieving a high level of academic success.
“Congratulations to the student-athletes who have dedicated themselves to excellence in the classroom and in competition,” said Sanford Health President and CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft. “Sanford Health is honored to invest in the next-generation of health care professionals through the Butch Raymond Scholarship. Butch’s service to the NSIC always prioritized the student-athlete experience, and it’s fitting his name be attached to this scholarship.”
Lahm, a graduate of Columbus ScotusS, carries a 3.91 grade-point average majoring in chemistry/health sciences-pre medicine. Lahm scored points in three events at the NSIC Indoor Championships in February, earning All-NSIC honors with a third place finish in the heptathlon (4,970 points), placed fourth in the long jump (23-6 3/4) and took fifth in the triple jump (47-3 3/4).
Wobken, a graduate of Scribner-Snyder, was a second-team All-NSIC honoree this season after starting all 50 games at catcher, leading the team in most offensive categories. She led the Wildcats in batting average (.331), hits (56), runs scored (32), slugging percentage (.538) and stolen bases (13/14) and finished the season with five homers, five triples and 21 RBI. Wobken also had 16 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games, both team highs. In NSIC games, Wobken posted a .348 average with three homers and 10 RBI and had just one error for a .985 fielding percentage.
To be eligible for the scholarship, the recipient must be a senior academically in 2017-18, have a GPA of 3.20 or higher, be participating in intercollegiate athletics and plan to work in a health related field or attend graduate school in a health related field. Both athletes were awarded scholarships worth approximately $7,500 for the 2017-18 academic year.
Past Wayne State athletes to receive this prestigious scholarship include Jordan Spencer in 2014-15 (women’s basketball), Leisa McClintock 2015-16 (volleyball) and Monique Alyea 2016-17 in softball.
