July 6, 2005
George Mason senior first baseman Chris Looze won yet another Colonial Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award on Wednesday, this one the most prestigious of the bunch, as he was named the conference's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in voting by the league's 10 sports information directors. This is the first time in the three-year history of the award that a George Mason student-athlete has received the honor.
Just two weeks ago, Looze was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Baseball. Last month, Looze was selected the CoSIDA Academic Player of the Year for Baseball, as well as being named to the Academic All-America first team. It was the second time in three years that a George Mason student-athlete was selected first-team Academic All-America. Looze concluded his George Mason career with a 3.93 grade-point average and a degree in biology.
"This is a special honor for Chris, one that emphasis the true meaning of what it is to be a student-athlete," Athletic Director Tom O'Connor said. "We are not only proud of his on-field success, but of his extraordinary commitment to excellence in the classroom. Chris epitomizes the caliber of student-athletes we are striving for at George Mason University."
The conference selected a Scholar-Athlete in each of its 21 championship sports this season, and each of those winners was placed on the ballot for the Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. All of the winners were a starter or important reserve on their team and had a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher. Among the contenders for the award, five were CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in 2004-05. Not only did the finalists excel in the classroom, but also as athletes. Sixteen of the Scholar-Athletes earned all-conference honors this season.
Looze was the second player in George Mason history to be selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-America first team in 2005. He is a three-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award and has been a constant presence on the Dean's List and Athletic Director's Honor Roll at George Mason. On the field, Looze was chosen to the All-CAA second team in baseball in 2003 and 2005, and was a first-team All-CAA selection and a second team All-American in 2004.
In 2005, Looze batted .307 with 14 homers, 47 runs scored and a team-high 64 RBI. Looze finished his three-year career as the Patriots' career leader in home runs (46) and RBI (201), and he also ranks among the top 10 in CAA history in both of those categories. A 37th-round selection of the Toronto Blue Jays in the recent Major League Baseball draft, Looze belted 17 homers and drove in a school-record 81 runs in 2004, leading Mason to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1993.
UNC Wilmington junior golfer Michelle Jarman was chosen as the CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
