May 6, 2008
Three Maroons Receive Weekly Conference Honors

CHICAGO -- Three University of Chicago student-athletes have been named the University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week in their respective sports, the conference announced today.

Junior catcher Scott Hofer (San Marino, Calif./ Flintridge Prep) and sophomore pitcher Joe Pankow (Naperville, Ill./ North) were recognized in baseball, and freshman Harry Backlund (St. Paul, Minn./ Highland Park) was selected in men's outdoor track & field.

Hofer batted .387 (12-for-31) with six runs scored, seven runs batted in, and a .613 slugging percentage during a seven-game stretch. He belted a two-run home run in a 6-4 win over Wheaton (Ill.) College and hit a grand slam during a 14-13 loss at Aurora University.

Pankow won both of his starts with a 2.31 earned run average. In a 6-4 triumph over Wheaton -- a team averaging 8.7 runs with a .353 batting average -- Pankow held the Thunder scoreless over seven innings, yielding four hits while striking out five. Four days later, he allowed nine hits and five runs over seven innings in an 8-5 win over Rockford College, the fifth-ranked team in the Central Region.

Backlund was the runner-up in the 1,500-meter run at the Butler University Twilight Invitational. Competing among a field of 38 competitors from all NCAA Divisions, Backlund clocked a time of 3:58.99.