Sports briefs

     Eleven Rebels picked
     for academic team
     
      UNLV placed 11 student-athletes on the academic all-Western Athletic Conference team for winter sports.
      Among the Rebels were junior basketball player Karen Webster, who has a 3.92 grade-point average in international business, and sophomore Janel Frei of the women's swimming and diving team, with a 3.92 GPA in finance.
      Also chosen from the UNLV women's swimming and diving squad were junior Nikki Mendrinos (3.44, recreation and leisure services), sophomore Marie O'Brien (3.56, undeclared), senior Lea Hurlburt (3.41, athletic training), sophomore Victoria Naess (3.49, international business) and sophomore Andrea Sacks (3.21, biology).
      Four Rebels were named from men's swimming and diving: senior Seun Harewood (3.60, preprofessional biology), senior Peter Buss (3.76, accounting), sophomore Ryan Lathrum (3.45, secondary education) and junior Ryan Kelly (3.26, managerial finance).
     
     Scalise named UNLV
     Olympic Sportsman
     
      UNLV sophomore swimmer Erik Scalise was named the school's Olympic Sportsman of the Year, as well as the team's MVP.
      Scalise, from Sparks, became the first Rebel swimmer to earn All-America honors since Bart Pippenger in 1990. By finishing 13th in the 400-yard individual medley at the NCAA Championships, Scalise was an honorable mention All-American.
      Scalise is the Western Athletic Conference champion in the 1,650 freestyle, and he holds school records in the 200 and 400 individual medley.
      Team MVPs in other sports included Ted Oh in golf, Asaf Tishler in tennis and Shawn Waite in rodeo.