April 26, 2005

Columbia, Mo. - Missouri sophomore Leanne Bowers (softball) and redshirt sophomore Hans Uldal (track and field) were named this week's Lathrop & Gage student-athletes of the week. Both students hold above a 3.0 grade-point average in their respective fields of study and contribute significantly not only to their team, but also the surrounding community.

Bowers, a centerfielder on the 19th-ranked MU women's softball team, holds a 3.87 grade-point average in Business. A native of Arnold, Mo., Bowers leads her teammates in runs scored (43) and stolen bases (11-11). With a .357 batting average, Bowers owns eight homers and a .628 slugging percentage this season. Off the field and away from the classroom, Bowers and her teammates have participated in a wheelchair softball exhibition game the past two years and provide free youth clinics several times a year to Columbia residents.

Uldal came to Missouri from Arendal, Norway and is a decathlete on the men's track and field team. Majoring in communications, Uldal holds a 3.30 grade-point average. Ranked third in the world, Uldal finished first at the second annual Audrey Walton Combined Event Carnival, April 15, and received an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, June 8-11 in Sacramento, Calif. In his spare time, Uldal gives his time to the Ronald McDonald House Benefit.

The Missouri softball team will host North Dakota State in their final non-conference series of the season, Wednesday, April 27 on University Field. Game one of the doubleheader will start at 4, with game two slated for a 6 p.m. start. Members of the MU track and field team will travel to Eugene, Ore., Wednesday, April 27 for the Oregon Twilight Classic. Tickets for all of Missouri's upcoming sporting events are available through the ticket office or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS.