University of North Carolina Athletics
Halbach Wins Byers Scholarship
May 9, 2003 | Women's Gymnastics
May 9, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Natalie Halbach, a senior at the University of North Carolina, has been awarded one of two 2003 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships by the NCAA, the organization announced on Friday. The scholarship is the largest and most prestigious given by the NCAA and Halbach, a gymnast, is the first University of North Carolina student-athlete to receive it.
"Natalie is very deserving of this honor," said Dick Baddour, UNC's Director of Athletics. "She excels in all areas and has represented our university incredibly well. We're very proud that she has worn Carolina blue for the last four years and we know she has a bright future ahead of her."
The male recipient for 2003 is McLain Schneider, a football player from the University of North Dakota.
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Halbach, from Plymouth, Minn., has a 3.953 grade point average and will graduate this month with a degree in French and international studies. A member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society, she has been named the recipient of the ACC Scholar-Athlete Award and a ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship, among many other honors. Last month she received UNC's Jim Tatum Award, given annually to a senior student-athlete who has performed with athletic distinction and has contributed to the University community through outreach activities.
In gymnastics, she has earned all-conference honors on the balance beam and served as a team captain this season. She won the team's Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2002 and '03. On campus, she has been involved in several peer mentoring groups and in the UNC Dance Marathon, an annual event that is the campus's largest student-run fundraiser.
The Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship program was established in 1988 to encourage excellence in academic performance. Each year, one male and one female student-athlete are chosen for the award. The NCAA describes the ideal Byers Scholar as "one who has combined the best elements of mind and body to achieve national distinction for his or her achievements, and promises to be a future leader in his or her chosen field of service." Applicants for the scholarship, which is worth $21,500 per year, must have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
"I feel really honored," said Halbach, who received the news last week. "I knew that no one from UNC had ever won, and I'm happy to be able to represent the University and the athletic department. I felt like I was representing everyone and all their hard work, not just mine. I know how special Carolina is and I'm thankful for the experiences I've had here and the support I've gotten from my coaches and the administration."
After being named one of six finalists, Halbach interviewed for the scholarship in Key West, Fla., on April 28. Other female finalists were Poppy Major, a gymnast from California-Davis, and Britt Themann, a basketball player from Tulane. The other two male finalists were Matthew Emmons (rifle, Alaska-Fairbanks) and David Lofthus (swimming, Johns Hopkins). "Even 24 hours was long enough to know that the other candidates were amazing," Halbach said. "I almost felt sorry for the selection committee for having to make the decision."
Halbach, the daughter of Michael and Rhonda Halbach, will spend next year in teaching elementary-level English in France. After that, she will attend graduate school, possibly focusing on world hunger issues.
Players Mentioned
