Yellowjackets’ Skrifvars Earns Regional Scholar-Athlete Honor (Aug. 24, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – Former Montana State-Billings men’s basketball player Jerett Skrifvars earned yet another honor on Tuesday when he was selected as the West Region winner in the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award competition.  He will advance along with the other eight regional winners to the national CCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year competition.

Eight regional winners were selected for both men and women.  The eight male and eight female winners of each region become finalists for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.  Joining Skrifvars as male regional winners were Neil Baumgartner (Saginaw Valley State), Nick Branting (Nebraska-Kearney), Brian Castagna (Bentley), Scott George (Concord), Greg Mason (Kennesaw State), Tyler Paul (Emporia State), and Mark Thompson (Rollins).

Last spring Skrifvars was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, becoming the first Academic All-American from MSU Billings.  The Brea, Calif., native graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2003 with a BSBA in Information Systems and held a 4.00 GPA through five years at MSU Billings.  He returned for a fifth year after receiving a medical redshirt in his senior season.  Skrifvars earned academic honors all ten semesters at MSU Billings and was a three-time PacWest Academic All-Conference selection.

Skrifvars finished his senior season ranked in the top ten in the PacWest for scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, assists, steals, and assist/turnover ratio.  He was fourth for scoring (18.3 ppg), first for rebounding (8.6 rpg), sixth for field goal percentage (54.0), fourth for assists (4.27 apg), sixth for steals (1.54 spg) and fifth for assist/turnover ratio (1.56). 

Skrifvars was a unanimous All-PacWest Conference first team selection and climbed the MSU Billings school record books throughout his senior season.  He finished ranked tenth in school history for career scoring with 1,240 points.  He also ranks seventh in school history for rebounds (576), fifth for steals (112), and third for free throws made (460).

The commissioners from the regions that comprise the Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners.  To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 career cumulative grade point average and possess outstanding athletic credentials.  The national award winners will be announced in late August.