Track & Field

Ryan Koch Receives Woody Hayes Scholar Athlete, NCAA Today's Top VIII Awards

National awards continue to reign on former St. Cloud State University football and track and field student athlete Ryan Koch who will receive the Woody Hayes National Scholar Athlete Award on January 26 in Columbus, Ohio and recently accepted the NCAA Top VIII Award in Orlando, Fla.

This is the 20th class to be honored by the University & Northwest Sertoma Club which sponsors the award, in honor of former Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes. Six awards are given each year to the outstanding man and woman in each of the three collegiate divisions in all sports. The 2007 NCAA Division I recipients are Stan White of The Ohio State University and Sarah Lowe of the University of Florida. The Division Il recipients are Koch and Rebecca Woodworth of Union College (Kentucky). The Division III recipients are Adam Duerfeldt of Central College and Erika Eisenhut of Union College (New York). The class boasts a combined grade point average of 3.91, more than 70 All-Conference and All-American recognitions, and provided volunteer service to more than 100 community organizations.

Ryan Koch is the third Husky to receive the award. Former SCSU football quarterback Keith Heckendorf won the award in 2003, followed by football and track and field standout Jason Koch (the older brother of Ryan) in 2005.

The Woody Hayes Scholar Athlete Award caps a long list of outstanding achievements by Koch during his tenure at SCSU. Most recently, on Sunday, January 7, he received the NCAA Today's Top VIII Award at the NCAA Honors Celebration in Orlando, Florida, one of the highest honors given to NCAA student athletes. The award recognizes current and former student athletes who have brought distinction to themselves, their institutions, and intercollegiate athletics. The other national awards he has received include; the 2006 Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2006 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award Winner - Spring (Track and Field), 2005 Draddy Trophy Finalist (considered the academic Heisman), and a 2005 National Football Foundation Scholarship.

Koch's awards also include the 2006 North Central Conference Stan Marshall Award (given to the top male student athlete in the conference), 2006 St. Cloud State Senior Male Athlete of the Year, 2006 St. Cloud State Noel Olson Award Winner/NCC Honor Athlete, and several scholarships including the Renslow Scholarship in 2004, the Marilyn and Rod Anfenson Scholarship in 2003 and 2005, and a Computer Science Scholarship in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Koch graduated from SCSU in May of 2006 with a major in computer science and a minor in Spanish. He maintained a 4.00 grade point average, while competing in football and track and field. He is currently employed by Securian Financial Group of St. Paul.