RAPID CITY - A pair of South Dakota School of Mines women's basketball standouts Melanie Vedvei and Amber Deweerd, both seniors, recently earned national recognition by being named Daktronics NAIA Division II Scholar Athletes for 2008.

"They are the epitome of the term scholar athlete," said Lady Hardrocker head coach Barb Felderman. "They set the mark for everyone else."

More than 220 NAIA Division II women's basketball players from throughout the country have been named NAIA scholar-athletes. Student-athletes must be nominated by their head coach, have achieved junior academic status and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

"They are excellent students-athletes," Felderman said. "They work hard both academically and athletically."

Vedvei, an industrial engineering major from Lake Preston, and Deweerd, an interdisciplinary science major from Rock Valley, Iowa, both ranked fairly high on the 4.0 scale, and both also received the prestigious award as juniors.

Both Vedvei and Deweerd have been with the team for four years and both finished their final year as Hardrockers during the 2007-08 campaign.