April 8, 2004

CLEVELAND, OHIO - The post-season honors continue to roll in for Maria Viall. In addition to her stellar play on the court the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball player was recently honored for her work in the classroom when she was recognized by the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association as a First-Team Scholar-Athlete here April 1st. Division I-AAA is comprised of the 90 Division I institutions that do not sponsor football, and, as a result, have basketball as their flagship athletic programs.

"This is a great honor as Maria's career winds down," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "Everyone knows how great a basketball player she is but she is also a wonderful student and person. Academics are very important to the program and Maria is a shining example of that."

Viall was one of ten student-athletes honored on the women's side, joining such players as Sarah Kustok of DePaul, Genny Mueller of Bradley, Corinne Wong of Pacific and UC Santa Barbara's Lisa Willett. A senior journalism and mass communications major, Viall boasts a 3.77 cumulative GPA and is on track to graduate this spring. On the court Viall rewrote UWM's record books as she ended her four-year career as the program's all-time leader in points (1,867), blocked shots (167), field goal percentage (.542), field goals made (737) and free throws made (390). The Waukesha-native was a three-time, First-Team All-Horizon League pick and the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2002 and 2004. In March, No. 24 became Milwaukee's first-ever women's basketball player to be named a finalist for All-America consideration.

The Panthers, who finished third among all DI institutions in overall grade point average in 2002-03, will return 15 letterwinners from this season's 17-12 squad.