(Peru, Neb.) – Peru State junior women's golfer Taylor Finke (Battle Creek) has been selected to receive the $1,000 Larry Lady Academic Scholarship from the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). The award was announced by Heart Commissioner Lori Thomas late last semester.
 
Lady, the long-time serving commissioner for the conference, has provided a $1,000 academic scholarship for the top male and female institutions in the conference based on the school who whose respective programs had the highest cumulative grade point average. Peru State's women's programs had the highest cumulative GPA in the Heart for 2018-19 as they finished with a 3.45. The recipient must be returning to the institution the following fall.

Taylor Finke Larry Lady
Taylor Finke (c) was notified of her selection of the Larry Lady award. With
Finke are athletic director Wayne Albury (l) and Peru State president
Dr. Dan Hanson (r)

 
Finke was selected by the athletic department as its recipient as she has the highest cumulative grade point average among junior women student-athletes and is also active on campus. She presently has a 3.963 gpa. Peru State President Dr. Dan Hanson recently presented Finke with her scholarship.
 
Lady served as the commissioner of the Heart for 21 years before retiring in June 2014. In addition to serving as the Heart commissioner, he served the NAIA national offices on several levels. Also, Lady had served as an NCAA Evaluator of Basketball Officials for the Big 12 Conference. He was inducted in the NAIA's Hall of Fame in 2004 and then in 2008 was inducted into the Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame in the The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
 
A three-year member of the women's golf team, Finke continues to improve each year. For the past two years, she has been the team's top golfer in most meets. She has medaled twice.
 
Away from golf, Finke is very active on the Peru State campus. She is a three-year member of the Peru Student Education Association (PSEA). Finke has served as the Vice President her freshman year, the President-Elect her sophomore year, and is serving the group as its President this year. One of PSEA's biggest annual endeavors is the Dr. Seuss Days. PSEA organizes a production/performance evolving around various Dr. Seuss books for area elementary school-aged children. Four different performances are given annually. Last year, Finke had the lead role for one of the books utilized in the production.
 
In addition, Finke has been a member of the PSEA homecoming committee and the PSEA outreach committees. She has been on the President's List twice and on the Dean's List three times. Finke has also participated in several of the golf team's community service activities.
 
Finke is a language arts teaching major and plans to seek a teaching position following graduation. Outside of Finke's golf and college activities, she finds time to help pay for her education by working several times a week at the Waterfall Lounge in Omaha.
 
When learning of the award, Finke commented, "I am honored to have been selected to receive the scholarship from among many other excellent Bobcat female student-athletes." Continuing Finke added, "I would like to thank Mr. Lady for recognizing hard-working student-athletes in our conference."
 
Finke is the daughter of Kyle and Barb Finke of Battle Creek. Her father was a 1990 graduate of Peru State.
 
This was the third time in four years that the Peru State women have had the highest grade point average. In 2015-16, the women finished with a 3.42 cumulative gpa. Emily Whipple, a Bobcat golfer, was the first recipient from Peru State to receive the scholarship. During 2017-18, the Bobcat women finished with a cumulative 3.55 grade point average. Julia Zurek, a member of the women's cross country team, was awarded the Lady award.
 
During 2018-19, the Bobcat volleyball team nudged out the golf team for the highest team gpa with a 3.67 compared to 3.61 for the golf team. Other teams' cumulative grade point averages which figured into the total were: women's basketball – 3.59, cross country – 3.38, and softball – 3.19.