Baseball player Daniel Schmidt and volleyball player Melinda Statz were named the Madison College Sportspeople of the Year during the annual athletic awards banquet held on April 24 at the Redsten Gymnasium.
The award recognizes student athletes “who have best exhibited the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship while also demonstrating the ability to handle stressful situations with poise and confidence.”
Both of this year’s recipients have served Madison College athletics both on and off the playing field.
Schmidt is a pitcher and outfielder on the Madison College baseball team. After having to take a medical redshirt 15 games into the 2012 season, Schmidt came out last year determined to help his team.
The 6-foot, 1-inch lefty from Hartland played in 51 games, batting .354 with a team-leading 37 RBIs. As a pitcher, he posted a 7-1 record with an impressive 2.18 ERA in 11 appearances. His efforts helped lead his team to a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division II World Series and earned him all-conference, all-regional and region tournament MVP honors.
This year, Schmidt has a .321 batting average with five doubles. He has a 4-2 record as a pitcher with a 3.72 ERA and a team-leading 26 strikeouts.
“Dan Schmidt has been at Madison College for three years and has always been invested in being a student athlete,” said baseball coach Mike Davenport. “He was a very valuable piece to our success last spring.”
Schmidt is also a two-time N4C academic all-conference award winner and has served as the athletic department’s representative on the Madison College student activities board the past three years.
Statz joined the Madison College volleyball team in the 2012 season and appeared in 15 matches, and was second on the team in kill percentage and assist. In addition, she earned academic all-conference honors.
This season, Statz played in 18 matches as the volleyball team went on to win its first-ever NJCAA National Championship. She was described as a “steady leader who always was the first to celebrate her teammates and her team’s achievements before her own.” Once again, she earned academic all-conference honors.
“Melinda’s unselfish approach to the team’s success is a rarity in athletics today,” said volleyball coach Toby Parker. “Leadership, sportsmanship and just being a great teammate are strengths and character traits that will take Melinda far in life after volleyball.”
In addition, Statz worked in the college’s Fitness, Health and Recreation Center for the past year and a half.
“We are fortunate to have had Melinda representing our women’s volleyball program, the Madison College athletic department and this college over the last two years,” said Steve Hauser, the Madison College athletic director. “We thank Melinda for representing all of us in exemplary fashion over the course of her time at Madison College.”