July 2, 2002
MILWAUKEE-UWM's Erin Blaedow and Jon Manke were both awarded the 2001-02 Horizon League Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor, the league announced today. This comes as just the second time in league history that the award recipients are from the same school, as Blaedow was a standout on the UWM women's soccer team and Manke finished a successful track and field career this past year at Milwaukee.
"Erin and Jon have represented both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Horizon League with great pride and honor," UWM Athletics Director Bud Haidet said. "We are very proud of the exemplary and outstanding manner they have each demonstrated throughout their careers."
The Coleman Award, the league's highest individual honor, is presented annually to the Horizon League's top female and male student-athletes who best exemplify the dignity and high purpose of the league and its membership. Recipients demonstrate outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities. Candidates must be a senior who has exhausted his/her eligibility and was a participant on the varsity level in a conference-sponsored sport. In addition, nominees must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent.
"We are very proud of what Erin and Jonathon have been able to accomplish in their careers," said Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone. "These two exemplify what our four platforms are all about by their tremendous success in their respective sports, an outstanding work ethic inside the classroom as well as their involvement in the community."
Blaedow becomes the second UWM female to receive the Coleman Award, with the first being former women's soccer player Lisa Kryzkowski in 1997-98. A three-year captain, Blaedow was named the 2001 Horizon League Player of the Year, the 2001 Horizon League Tournament MVP and the 2002 UWM Female Athlete of the Year. She was also selected to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team this past year, the all-league first team and the league all-tournament team in both 2000 and 2001, the Central Michigan All-Tournament team in 2000 and to the league's all-newcomer team and the Verizon Wireless Cup All-Tournament team in 1998.
Academic accolades for Blaedow include being named to the 2001 NSCAA/Adidas Women's Scholar All-American First Team, the 2000-01 NSCAA All-Academic Midwest Region Team, the 2000-01 Horizon League All-Academic Team and to both the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. She has been named to the Dean's List five times in her career and earned a 4.00 in both her senior semesters to win UWM Scholar-Athlete with Distinction honors. Blaedow was a member of the UWM Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, participated in the NCAA Leadership Conference, tutored Milwaukee Public elementary school students and was a member of the Horizon League Ethical Conduct Committee. She was a volunteer for the Milwaukee Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, coached for a U-17 girls soccer team and the Wisconsin Olympic Development Program and was a regular leader in UWM community service projects for the athletic department.
A co-captain for the men's track team, Manke is the second UWM male athlete to receive the Coleman Award after fellow teammate Paul McGinley won it in 1999-00. Manke was named the league's newcomer of the year award in 1998 and holds the school record for indoor shot put, weight and discuss. He was a member of three league indoor championship teams and four outdoor championship teams. He also received all-league honors and was named UWM Senior Student-Athlete of the Year.
Manke's academic accomplishments include being named to the Dean's List nine times and being named a UWM Scholar Athlete five times, while also being selected to the league's academic all-conference team and honor roll in 1999-00. He was involved in a number of extracurricular activities, including being a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, the Tau Beta Pi National Honor Society and the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. He was also a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers. Manke also coached summer track and field for 7th, 8th and 9th graders at the Spartan Track Club, and was a volunteer at the Madison and Milwaukee youth track and field competitions.
The last time a male and female student-athlete from the same school won the Coleman Medal of Honor was in 1991-92, when Xavier's Marla Schuerman and John Kronenberger received the award.
