Jan. 4, 2002

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. (January 4, 2002) - Southeast Missouri State senior golfer Bryan Johnson has been named an Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete award winner, as announced by the conference office on Thursday.

The award, which is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes, is given annually to three men and three women senior athletes for their accomplishments in the classroom and in athletics, as well as their leadership qualities.

Johnson, a Thayer, Mo. native, has twice been named an Academic All-American by the Golf Coaches Association. He is in his second season as playing in the number one position on the Southeast golf team, and was the first Southeast golfer to reach the semifinals of the Missouri State Amateur Tournament while still enrolled in school. He is involved in community events such as canned food drives and the "Country Cares Radiothon," which helps raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital. Johnson plans to graduate from Southeast in May with a degree in Business.

"Bryan is just a great person," said head golf coach Carroll Williams. "He exemplifies exactly what you look for in a student athlete. I can't say enough about him personally, academically or athletically."