March 13, 2006

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri senior Laura Brandt and junior Nathan Zabel were named this week's Lathrop & Gage Varsity M Student-Athletes of the Week for their exceptional contributions to their respective athletic teams, combined with their strengths in the classroom and time spent in the local community.

A native New Haven, Mo., Brandt is a sprinter on the Mizzou women's track and field team. She holds a 3.53 grade-point average as a Journalism major and strives to be the editor of The New York Times one day. Brandt is a four-time All-Big 12 selection in both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams. Additionally, she finished third in the 400-meters at the 2005 Missouri All-Comers meet and took home third place at the Missouri-Kansas-Kansas State Triangular in the 600-yards.

Zabel, an art major, is a member of the men's swimming team at Mizzou. The Eldorato, Wisc. native earned two top-10 finishes at the recent 2006 Big 12 Championships with ninth-place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. During the regular season, Zabel took second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 50-meter breaststroke at the Show-Me-Showdown as well as a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke against Texas A&M. In 2005, Zabel claimed seventh-place in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Big 12 Championships while also recording top-15 finishes in the 50-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes.

The Mizzou track and field team opens the Outdoor season on March 23 and 24 at the Jim Click Combined Events in Tucson, Ariz. at 10 a.m. CT. The team then travels to Tempe, Ariz. for the Arizona State Invitational on March 24 and 25.